Many a man, many a woman has a heart that’s divided – torn between wealth and God. It’s deep, it’s devastating. We don’t think too much about it, let alone talk about it.  But it’s there.  And it hurts.  How do we deal with that?  How do we make a change for the good?

 

How much Should I Give?

Over these last few weeks we have been chatting about money matters. Trying, I guess, to take a Kingdom view; a Kingdom of God perspective on this whole issue of money. God talks so much in His Word about money and the influence it has over us – the fact that it can drag it away from Him as we chase so hard after the riches of this world. First Timothy chapter 6, verse 10, says that:

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from their faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

We are so eager in our love of money, at least we can be, that we wander away from our faith in God, little by little, and before we know it, we have pierced ourselves with many, many pains.

I was in a lift, an elevator in a large shopping centre, the other day and stood next to a young woman with a young child in a pram and she had cut marks all down her arms – self mutilation; cutting that had left scars. Horrible! And you wonder, "Why does she do that?" It’s the same with the love of money, we pierce ourselves with many pains, it leaves scars.

And you have to ask yourself, ‘Why do we do that?’ Because it’s the most natural thing in the world for a person to do, to chase after wealth. The problem is it only brings pain. And what we are seeing over these last few weeks together is that God offers us a solution, a very simple solution, to give into His work – generously, sacrificially. That’s what sets us free from the pain, the devastating impact of the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil.

One of the things that people often ask me is, "How much should I give? If I indeed need to let God heal me of this malady for my giving, how much should I give?" The Old Testament talks about tithing – should I give a tithe; a tenth of my income? Will that do? It that the answer; is that the formula?’ Funny how we are all looking for a formula isn’t it? "I’ll set up a direct debit of ten percent to my church and then I’ll be free."

Tithing comes from the Old Testament Law; the Torah. God’s people in the Old Testament were commanded to give ten percent. It was a legal requirement for them, much as paying taxes is a legal requirement for you and for me. This finds its roots way back in Genesis chapter 14, verse 20, when Abraham gives thanks to the Lord. It works its way into the Law so that the Levites can be ministers to God’s people to pay, in effect for their ministry.

And we see quite often how God uses the tithe to bring His people back to Himself through obedience. That oft quoted passage on tithing – you may have heard it, in Malachi chapter 3 – is set in the context of God’s people having wandered away from Him, realised that and asks Him for a path back and He gives it to them through this one simple act. Read it for yourself. Malachi chapter 3, verses 7 to 12, towards the end of the Old Testament. Have a listen:

Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. “Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?” Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! You are accursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

Do you see how, God, through this one command in the Law is giving them a solution to their wandering off from Him? I wonder if it isn’t a solution for someone today. But the tithe, the giving of one tenth is no longer a legal requirement. People who believe in Jesus are Christians and they are no longer under the law of the Old Testament; we are under the law of grace. We walk according to the Spirit of God. Indeed, as the Apostle Paul, in Romans chapter 8, verse 3, says:

… the reason is that God, by sending His Son, has done what the law weakened by the flesh couldn’t do. He’s dealt with our sin.

Do I think tithing is a good idea? I think it’s a great idea, a brilliant idea and I would encourage anyone who has strayed away from God to return to Him and through this one simple principle, make a sacrifice to God. The good thing about one tenth is that it typically represents a fair chunk of our discretionary expenditure. We all have bills, we have to have somewhere to live and rent, mortgage and food and clothing and all those things – they consume, for most of us, most of our income. What’s left is the money that we use for discretionary expenditure. Giving a tenth of our household income to God restricts our discretionary expenditure. It’s a significant sacrifice and it’s changed many a heart. Remember that’s what God after all, wants – our hearts. He knows that our hearts are linked to our wallets and that’s why He calls for this sacrifice.

But do I think that tithing is the answer is that what God is looking for? No! James L. Kraft, the founder of the Kraft Phoenix Cheese Corporation, still a household name in many parts of the world today, was well known as a tither. When asked whether he believed in tithing he said, ‘No, although I guess it’s not a bad place to start.”

If someone is looking to honour God, to invest their treasurer in heaven rather than here on earth, as Jesus taught, how much should they give? Well, the answer I think lies in Second Corinthians chapter 8. Have a listen. Paul is asking the Corinthians to contribute to his ministry. It’s a fundraising letter, if you will, at least, this chapter is:

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; (Remember he is writing to the Corinthians here. He is talking about the Macedonian church. He says about them,) for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.

Now as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you — so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”

So, two things: the first is that the Macedonians themselves were struggling terribly. In those days that meant not having enough food to eat. But even though they themselves were going through an ordeal of affliction and extreme poverty, they were generous. They gave beyond their means, to God’s work, through Paul. In fact, they begged him for the privilege of giving. Imagine what this world would look like if we did the same.

And so Paul springboards off that, if you will, writing to the Corinthians and to you and to me to do the same as a test of the genuineness of our love for God. Man, what a challenge! Giving sometimes, as we are moved in our hearts by God, beyond our means – like that widow that Jesus spoke of, who gave all she had to live on. You can read about that in Luke chapter 21.

And God wants our hearts and you and I so often, we put our faith in stuff. Our security is in stuff, in money, in a false god. How much should we give? Everything! In other words, put all our assets at God’s disposal, all that we are, all that we have, at His feet. Be prepared to be ‘all in’ and to go all the way. That’s what the Bible says! Does God demand that we should all be poor? No! But He wants us to lay everything at His feet because we only have what He has already given us.

And I know it’s going to make some people squirm but it’s only because these same people trust in the things of this world and not in their God. We are going to talk a bit more about that next.

 

How Should I Give

Now we have just had a brief look at one of the most radically challenging Scriptures that I know of, something that the Apostle Paul wrote about "giving". So I would like to go a bit deeper into it right now because it’s life changing if we take God’s Word to heart. It strikes at the very core of our faith, particularly for those of us who live in parts of the world where conspicuous consumption and consumerism are the religion of the day.

Paul is writing this fund raising letter to his friends in Corinth to motivate them to give and he is telling the Corinthians about the Macedonian church. Let’s have another look at it.

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

What an amazing passage of Scripture! The executive summary: basically be "all in" when it comes to giving to God’s work the way Jesus was "all in". It cost Him His life! That’s great but what does that mean and how do you and I do that and yet still keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies? That’s what we are going to be talking about together right now.

I mentioned last week that sometimes I receive vitriolic letters from people here in Australia – not often, just occasionally – when they have received a so called "fundraising" letter from our ministry, as though that is any different to a church taking up an offering on Sunday morning. But right here in the Bible we have Paul the Apostle writing a fund-raising letter. And he is asking – asking is the wrong word – he’s imploring them to give generously and eagerly, like the Macedonians who had begged to be able to give generously to God’s work.

It’s an"all in" strategy for Kingdom giving. And the power of this approach by the Macedonians is that it demonstrates their love for God is genuine. They gave out of their affliction; they gave out of the poverty; they are prepared to give beyond their means when God moves them in their hearts to give, and then to put their trust in God to provide for their needs.

See, our approach quite often is totally the opposite. We give out of what we have left over. Nothing left over, huh, nothing to give! "Oh, we have to make sure there is enough left for a rainy day of course!" And yet these Macedonians are free from worrying about money because they serve the living God; the Creator of the universe; the One who knows all their needs and who has promised to provide for them rather than serving the god of wealth and of money; a false god; a tin pot god that coughs and splutters when there’s a famine, or when we lose our jobs or when we live in poverty, as many of the people joining us today round the world do; or when the stock market stumbles.

But in practice, what does that mean to be "all in"? I mean, how can we be practical about this? The first thing for me is taking Jesus at His absolute word when He talks about God’s provision. We are going to read those words now. They require very little explanation – they’re plain, they’re simple, they’re straightforward and as you hear them, ask yourself this question: do I actually believe Jesus with my life on this? Am I actually living my life as though what He is saying is true? Jesus – Matthew chapter 6, verse 19:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. But instead, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will also be. No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they don’t gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth so much more than them?

And can you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothing? I mean, look at the lilies of the field, how they grow; they don’t toil, they don’t spin, and I’ve got to tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of them. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What am I going to eat?’ or ‘What am I going to drink?’ or ‘What am I going to wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will bring enough worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

So, let me ask you, are we living our lives as though those words are true? I’m not just asking you, I’m asking me! If we are, we are serving God, if we’re not, then we are not serving God – we are serving mammon; a word which means basically, "the false god of wealth". And if we do believe that, how do we put it into action? Is it by some rule or formula? No! That’s not what the Macedonians were doing and that’s not what Paul was asking the Corinthians to do. Have another listen:

… we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. I’m not saying this to you as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Is it a rule? Is it a command? No, it’s a test. Paul is testing their hearts. In fact, through Paul, God is testing their hearts. You may remember a couple of weeks ago we looked at the very first fund-raiser in the Bible. God sending Moses to God’s people to raise support for the tabernacle, a place where God’s presence would dwell amongst Israel, the forerunner of the temple. Exodus chapter 25, verse 1:

The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give – you shall receive the offering for me.

Do you see? It’s a matter of the heart – God wants our hearts. And when He moves us to give, the test is whether we will give what He asks, no matter what it costs. Let me say that again: the test is that we will give what He asks, no matter what it will cost.

For me, this is what it means. I’m blessed by God. I live in a safe, comfortable house but I’m not prepared to have a safe, comfortable life. Many times in ministry, there hasn’t been enough to go around; many times the house has been on the line and for me, my God comes before my house. Is that irresponsible? No, I don’t think so. The house could burn down tomorrow. There could be a tsunami or an earthquake or a fire or even a war. The things, the stuff, the money, the possessions – that’s not where I get my security.

I have decided, as unnerving as it is some days, as counter intuitive and apparently stupid as it may appear to others, to be ‘all in’ in the Kingdom of God. When I gave my life to Jesus, I prayed a simple prayer; the words of which I will now forget. I believe it’s a prayer the Holy Spirit birthed in me. I prayed: Lord everything I am and everything I have, every hope and every dream, I give to You. Of course, I haven’t always done that perfectly but it remains my prayer today. All in!

Am I telling you that to impress you? No, I am nothing special. The point is this, that like James L. Kraft, the founder of the Kraft Foods Empire I can say this: that this ‘all in’ Kingdom investment is the only investment I have ever made that has consistently, without fail, paid dividends. All kinds of dividends. It’s what God had planned – seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and then letting all these other things follow along behind. All in!

 

Financial Security

As you and I ponder this brutally direct passage in Second Corinthians chapter 8 about the way the Macedonians gave missionally to the spreading of the Gospel. They gave so sacrificially out of their poverty, they considered it such a privilege to be a part of God’s plan in the world.

As we contemplate that I would like to bring another Scripture to the table. It’s a Scripture about Scriptures; a Bible verse about all the other Bible verses. Have a listen, Hebrews chapter 4:

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides the soul from the spirit, the joints from the marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

See, God’s Word indeed judges the thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. He knows how the love of money grips us; He knows our Achilles Heel, our specific weakness; the places where the devil can tempt us. He knows how our hearts are divided – not just in some judicial way but through His experience. Jesus too was tempted in the same way:

We have a great High Priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast to our confession for we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses but we have one who in every respect, has been tested as we are and yet was without sin.

Jesus knows! Jesus was tempted by the devil. When He came out of the wilderness having fasted for forty days and forty nights what was one of the things that the devil tempted Him with? He led Him up and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and the devil said to Jesus,

To you I will give their glory and all this authority for it’s been given over to me and I’ll give it to anyone that I please. If you will worship me it will all be yours. And Jesus answered, “It is written, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.

It’s because Jesus Himself was tempted in the same way – with all the riches of the kingdoms of the world – it is for this reason that He understands.

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

In just a moment, that exactly what we are going to do. We are going to go and approach the throne of grace with boldness, not in our own right but through Jesus Christ who died to pay for our sin.

But before we do, a warning! When we pray this prayer; as we lay all that we are and all that we have at His feet, make no mistake, God will test our hearts. He won’t wait long. A need will arise somewhere; an opportunity will arise as it did for the Macedonians and the Corinthians, to contribute, to give sacrificially to the Kingdom of God and God’s Kingdom agenda; to be part of transforming peoples’ lives with love and grace and mercy and power of the Good News about Jesus Christ.

This is not some theory lesson alone, God is into the practical teaching of discipling us. He will come and lay something on our hearts; He will test our hearts just as He tested the hearts of the Corinthians through the Apostle Paul. It can be so hard to lay down our wealth at God’s feet and we do that through sacrificial giving.

That’s how God calls us to give but the prize of that sacrifice … the prize is freedom from the tyranny of money.

Father,
I pray for each one of us. Money impacts all of us. We all want things and experiences in our lives and thank You that You have made this world for us to enjoy, for us to experience. But we need to be honest here with You Lord, this whole thing of money, well, sometimes it plunders our hearts, sometimes we want to chase after wealth instead of following hard after Jesus. Lord, we come to You, we confess that we are utterly powerless to do anything about it except to present ourselves to You – all that we have and all that we are – and ask that Your Spirit would invade our hearts. Change our hearts, Oh God. Set us free to lay down our desire for wealth and replace it with a passion for You. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.