97 - On Tithing (Bible Study Selection)#
97 - On Tithing (Bible Study Selection)
(JP Text Group - Happy Angels Compilation)
Ephesians 4:11-16:
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for Your grace! We gather before You, and through this word, let us know Jesus Christ more deeply. Lord, You will teach us how to conduct ourselves in life; we need Your wisdom in our interactions with others. You also let us know that we are all members of one body, working together to build the body of Christ. We completely dedicate this time to You, and may the Holy Spirit especially help each person, allowing us to build the right faith in Your word. Thank You and praise You, Lord. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! Let’s first look at spiritual gifts. What are the spiritual gifts? It was mentioned earlier: God has given some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. There are many roles mentioned here, and they all relate to shepherding, established by God. What are these roles for? To equip the saints.
There is no mention of deacons here; the prophets in the Old Testament conveyed God’s words. In the Old Testament, God wanted to tell His words to people, but since people could not hear directly, He used the mouth of the prophets to convey His will to His people! This is what prophets do. Apostles are the same; the twelve apostles in the New Testament followed Jesus, and after Jesus ascended to heaven, they began to do what Jesus did! Evangelists are the same. Pastors and teachers have a slight difference: pastors mainly shepherd the flock, while teachers’ main responsibility is to teach the Bible. What are they doing according to their roles? To equip the saints!
Each doing their part to build the body of Christ. The main responsibility of these ministers is to serve their brothers and sisters with all their roles, each doing their part to build up the body of Christ. It is then told how to build and do this.
Verse 13 says: Till we all come to the unity of the faith.
Of course, this cannot be explained casually; it is later told what this is about. With so many gifts and roles, the purpose is to let us know the Son of God, Amen! You must remember that whether it is prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, they all have one purpose: to build the body of Christ, to let people in the world know the Son of God, Amen! If what is spoken in the church is about organizing some activities, if it is away from Jesus, then it is just a group!
Our country has many groups, volunteer teams, and organizations specifically helping the elderly. The problem is that they do not have Jesus Christ and cannot be called a church; they can only be called an organization. Whether it is a teacher or a pastor, their role is to let people know the Son of God, to bring everyone to the unity of the faith. No matter how small our church is, our ultimate goal is to let people know the Son of God, so that we may grow up to the fullness of Christ!
The stature of Jesus Christ is not only because He is the Son of God; we are also children of God! Jesus is the Son of God! But there is a difference: the stature of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is different from ours; He learned to rely on the will of the Father in everything, and this is what we need to learn. It is said that we must continually listen to the word and know the Son of God. This is a continuous process; it is not that we already know Jesus, but we need to continually know Him throughout our lives, and then we grow to have the stature of Jesus Christ, handling all matters like Jesus.
It is said later: That we should no longer be children.
What are the characteristics of children? They lack discernment,
Tossed to and fro by the trickery of men, and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, following various heresies.
If a child is casually given some candy or something tasty, they can be led into a wrong place. In our faith, we should not remain as children forever. Because a child can only drink milk, there are many blessings you cannot receive.
For example: it is not that God does not give us; many times we say, "Lord, why don’t You give us this?" In fact, God is not unwilling to give you; it is that our stature is not big enough. For example, a five-year-old child says to his mother, "Buy me a BMW." The car is a good car, a blessing. But for him, it is of no use because he cannot drive.
Brothers and sisters, there are many blessings in the kingdom of heaven, but we cannot grasp them, so they cannot be given to us yet because we are still children. If a nursing infant can only drink milk, today there is good news; everyone has seen that our church sister Zhou Ruoxi has given birth to a big son weighing eight pounds! Thank the Lord!
Think about it; when this child is just born, he can only drink milk. If you kindly say, "I have candy for you," the consequence could be life-threatening. Although it is a blessing, this blessing is more precious than milk, but this child can only digest milk because that is the nature of his life. We should not remain as children in faith; it is particularly easy to fall into the trickery and deceit of men. God will not deceive us, but people will!
By speaking the truth in love, may we grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ. Who does this? It is the teachers, pastors, and prophets. In our church, as a teacher, I constantly remind you to think about God’s words. In everything, we must pray, and God gives us wisdom; this is what we need to keep reminding our brothers and sisters.
The whole body must be joined and knit together by Him, with every joint supplying what is needed, according to each part’s effective working, helping one another. What is your role? What is your gift? Use your gift to serve your brothers and sisters. In this way, our body will be built up.
What we want to share is the stewardship of money; earlier we shared about gifts. Our lives, gifts, strength, including our money, all need to be managed. This does not mean that once you believe in the Lord, you just give everything to God and let Him manage it; that won't work. Christians must have wisdom. A business needs management, a family needs management, and a child needs proper education; this is also a form of management. All of this requires wisdom.
Today, we talk about money management. First: Honor God with your finances.
Proverbs 3:9: Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.
Brothers and sisters, we think about this: when the Israelites brought the first sheaf of wheat they harvested before God and waved it, then burned it on the altar. What does this mean? Isn’t this a waste of food? Why do this? In fact, this represents that everything I have is given by God, so I bring the first sheaf, the first sheaf is the best; do not give the worst to God, that is not our intention.
We bring the sheaf before God, telling Him: You have given me all this, and I use this to honor You. It means I have nothing else to give You. Our lives are given by God; everything we have is given by God. What can we give to God? We can give nothing. What God has given me, I take out the best to give to You, meaning I know that all this is given by You, and with this, I honor God!
Just like now, if you give your child ten pieces of candy, and the child understands, they don’t eat it first; for example, Zhang Rong's child receives ten pieces of candy and immediately takes one out and says, "Mom, you eat this first." You would feel that this child is very understanding and loves you! It is not that this mother must eat this piece of candy; it proves that this child knows that everything is given by you. What God wants us to do is just this. When we see the Israelites honoring the Lord in this way, it tells us to acknowledge that all these finances and produce are managed by Him! Amen!
In the Bible, there are a few people like Susanna and Joanna, who supplied Jesus with many things during His ministry. I wonder if you have read the following verses, Luke 8:3, actually, during Jesus' three and a half years of preaching, He did not work or earn a living; it was these women and His disciples who contributed to Jesus, and then Jesus used these contributions for the gospel ministry. Among them were Joanna and Susanna, as well as Tabitha, who was often willing to donate to help the poor, and many others, including Judas (not Iscariot) and Barnabas, as well as Ananias and Sapphira later on.
Let me explain this to the brothers and sisters, Acts 5:1-11: This passage needs to be explained to avoid confusion;
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and, carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
Brothers and sisters, how do you feel after reading this passage? If they were believers, would God strike them dead for lying or keeping back some money? No! What was the real reason for this man's death? We must not interpret the scripture casually.
Just this afternoon, someone asked me about this passage, saying, "Why is God so cruel to Ananias and his wife? Just because they were unwilling to give all their money, God struck them dead?" In fact, that is not the meaning; that is not the true reason. When reading the scripture, these two people did not believe in the Lord. How do we know this?
It is stated very clearly: There was a certain man named Ananias. If he were a believer, the Bible would tell us he was a believer. But here it is stated very clearly, there was a certain man named Ananias. What was the situation at that time? After Jesus Christ died and rose again, the disciples thought Jesus would return soon to take them back to the new heaven and new earth.
So at that time, everyone said, "We will not stay here too long; we will sell all our possessions and live a communal life. Everything is shared; if you lack something, we will give you what you need." Everyone brought all their money to the church to live, eat, and sing together. That was an extremely beautiful life. Today, no matter which country, everyone wants to achieve this ideal, but in reality, it cannot be realized!
At that time, the apostles' hearts were indeed centered on Jesus Christ, and they did many things that were not required of them. People voluntarily wanted to do such things. In the end, Ananias and Sapphira also participated, but in fact, they did not believe.
Peter just said, "Before you sold this, it was yours; after you sold it, it was still yours. When you offered to God, for example, if I sold something for ten thousand dollars, I am willing to give God five thousand and keep five thousand for myself; that is fine. The problem is that they did not do this; they clearly sold it for ten thousand and took out five thousand, saying, 'I have sold all my possessions and now offer everything.' Do you understand this meaning?
Their problem lies here; they themselves did not believe. Someone asked, "Why did they do this?" Because in the Jewish region, unlike in China, if you do not join Judaism, you will face many restrictions in business and your children’s education. So they saw this and thought, "We should also participate in such things." But they did not believe in this Lord, did not believe in the Holy Spirit! They kept back a little and deceived by saying they gave everything; it was this kind of unbelief that led to their death!
Brothers and sisters, no matter how much we give to God, He is pleased, but one thing, we must not deceive God! Because you cannot deceive God; their sins still remained because of their unbelief. They were under the Old Testament, and according to the Old Testament, if you do this, you will be struck dead by God. Thank the Lord! In the New Testament, such things do not exist! In other countries, such things will not happen; this is a very special case that can only happen in the Jewish region. You do not need to worry because such things will not happen to you.
The second point: Our correct attitude towards money.
A person's life is more precious than wealth! Matthew 16:26: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
There are many scriptures that must be correctly understood; does it mean we should not earn money? It tells us that you must know that your life is more important than making money. Amen! Today, people have fallen into a wrong cycle; there is a saying: "In the first thirty years, we exchange our lives for money; in the last thirty years, we use money to buy our lives." People have fallen into this state. In fact, Jesus said: "Even if you gain the whole world and lose your life, money cannot buy your life." We often see news of wealthy people who, upon getting a small cancer diagnosis, say, "If I can save my life, I am willing to give away all my possessions." Cherish our lives more than making money!
In fact, God has given us a better method: you work six days, and the seventh day you rest, which is good for your body. God hopes that we are healthy and live abundantly in this world, Amen! This is God's intention.
Next, do not place too much importance on earthly wealth.
1 Timothy 6:7:
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. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
The meaning of this passage is not to say that we should not save money on earth; that is also wrong. We should view our wealth correctly. It should be used in the right places. How can we store treasures in heaven? Use this wealth to help those in need, Amen! That is the meaning. So how can we store treasures in heaven? Use this wealth to bring life to others, spread the gospel, and support gospel work; this is the way to store treasures in heaven. It is also said to beware of the love of money becoming the root of all evil!
1 Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The Bible never says that money is the root of all evil; it is only when one "loves" it that it becomes the root of all evil, Amen! Brothers and sisters, the word "love" is added in front; when one loves, they will do anything to acquire wealth, and as a result, they will fall into it. The Bible says that some, in their love for money, have strayed from the faith. This is a very frightening thing. Some people will do anything for money, doing whatever it takes to make money, even disregarding their relatives; such things have happened many times, all because of greed!
Looking at the fourth point: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Acts 20:35: I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
We have two relationships with God; our relationship with people is just like a cross. The vertical part represents our relationship with God; in our relationship with God, we are always the receivers, and God is the giver. Before God, you cannot give anything; you cannot give anything to God. You are always a receiver, continually receiving. Amen! In this case, you are a blessed person.
The horizontal part represents our relationship with people; in this case, it is more blessed to give than to receive. When you can give, it proves that you have. If you cannot even live yourself, how can you give? So we receive from God and then give to people; this is a way of blessing, and you will find that the more you give, the more God gives you; this is God's way of blessing.
However, many of us are afraid; in God's principles, the more you give, the more God gives you. In people's concepts, giving means you have less. God is not like that; God says that when you give, you will have more because the source is like this! You will find a spring; the more you draw water from it, the more water there is, and it remains fresh. If you do not touch it, the water will become stagnant. This is God's law; when you give, God will give you more, just like seeds that keep cycling.
The fifth point: Do not rely on money; rely on God in everything.
1 Timothy 6:17: Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
It is interesting; our God does not say that we should not make money; that is incorrect. Some people say Christians should be poor; that is wrong; the Bible never says that. I command you who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or rely on your wealth. It means that even if you have a lot of money, this wealth is absolutely not your object of reliance; it is just your tool, Amen!
The only one we can rely on is our God. What does "uncertain" mean? It means something that is fluid. Those who have studied marketing know that money is not static; it is fluid; money is alive. The Jews know this very well; they know that money is not in their pockets; it is in others' pockets. Many people are just temporarily holding onto my money; ultimately, it is still mine. This is the Jewish way!
Jews are very clever; when they encounter a robbery, they do not wait for the robber to say anything; they quickly turn out all their pockets, take out the money, and say, "This is all my property, but can you leave me some fare to get home? I do not want this money anymore; just let me go home." In this case, the criminal might feel, "I will leave you some." In China, it is different; they would rather be killed than give their money, resulting in losing their life and their money.
Because Jews know that as long as their life is still there, money will eventually be earned back. They do not rely on money; they rely on our God. The Bible also tells us to rely on the living God who richly gives us all things to enjoy. Amen! The Bible also says that money has wings and will fly away. Do not think that my money is safe in my pocket or bank.
In fact, economists have analyzed this very clearly; one hundred dollars today will actually be worth one dollar in ten years. Can you understand this? One hundred dollars from the past, after ten years, will have the same value as one dollar today! The further you go, the lower the value. If you keep it in the bank, it will depreciate. This is not what we rely on because it is uncertain. Only our God is forever unchanging; He is willing to bless us and wants us to enjoy. God tells us that money is for you to do things with. Thank the Lord!
Give willingly to God with a grateful heart.
The principle of giving is told here:
2 Corinthians 9:6-9: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: 'He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.'
God gives us all grace so that we may always have sufficiency in all things for every good work; this is indeed the case. When you have the right mindset and use it, God is willing to give you more. Amen! Our relationship with God is very simple, just like the relationship between a father and child; a father is willing to give good things to his children.
For example, the first scenario: you see your son saying, "Dad, give me a million dollars."
His father asks, "What do you want the money for?"
The son replies, "I want to buy many books for my brothers and sisters. I want to buy many Bibles to give to those in need so they can know Jesus Christ."
His father says, "Good, that is a good thing; I will give it to you; I am very willing."
The second scenario: the son says to his father, "Give me a million dollars."
His father asks, "What do you want a million dollars for?"
The son replies, "Now it is popular to keep a mistress; I want to have three or four mistresses..."
His father would not give it to him; he knows the consequences. This is not for doing good; his father would not give it to him. After doing this, his life might be at stake. Some things we think are good, but God can see the consequences behind them, and many things God prevents. Amen! This is an important matter!
God's purpose for us is to let us always have sufficiency in all things and then do all kinds of good works. Amen!
Tithing:
1 Chronicles 29:13-14: 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name; but who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.
It is interesting here; is the tithe part of the law? Last week, someone in our church asked, "Do we still need to keep the tithe in the New Testament?" Yes, it is actually very simple. If you think keeping the tithe is part of the law, do you understand my meaning? If you keep something, it becomes the law. But the tithe is definitely not the law; the tithe appeared before the law. The tithe appeared four hundred years before the law was given; this is not the law; it is a blessing!
Under the Old Testament law, there are two results: the first is blessing, as recorded in Deuteronomy 28; it is not all curses; the earlier sections are blessings. To what extent are those blessings? You are like a living treasure; wherever you go, you are blessed; whatever you touch is blessed; this is an incredible thing. The problem is that you must keep all of God's commandments to have such blessings; if you cannot keep them, it becomes a curse, falling under punishment, disease, and difficulties. The Israelites often faced various problems because they could not keep all the laws.
But now Jesus has come; He has fulfilled the law for us, Amen! The law requires keeping all the commandments. Jesus kept the law for us. When God looks at us through Jesus, He sees that Jesus has kept the law, so all blessings are in Jesus. Therefore, Jesus gives us all the blessings; it is not that you kept them, but Jesus kept them, and Jesus freely gives you the blessings that you cannot obtain under the law.
Because of Jesus, wherever you go, you are a living treasure; you are a blessing. This testimony has been shared with brothers and sisters many times; it is indeed true. You see that this place has poor business; because you went there, it will change. The key is whether people know this problem; if you know it is because you brought blessings here, this place will change. You must first have this mindset. If you do not even know this, if you do not know you have this blessing, you will certainly not see this blessing.
We must know that tithing is definitely not the law. Why was there tithing under the Old Testament? There was a group of Levites in the Old Testament who were responsible for working in the temple; they had no inheritance. Day and night, they worked in the temple. For example, the priests had a job of trimming the lamps in the holy place; there was a bowl with a wick that needed to be lit, and after a while, the burnt wick had to be cut off, or the lamp would go out. The descendants of Aaron did this work for generations.
Because of this work, they could not work in the fields and had no inheritance. What about the livelihood of the Levites? At that time, a rule was established for the Levites: they were to receive a tithe from the people. All this money was given to the Levites. The Levites would then take a tenth of what was offered and put it in the house of God; this was the order of the past.
In the New Testament, who do the Levites refer to? They refer to those who serve full-time, Amen! This group of people, like me, has no second job; they serve God for life, so they need the tithe to supply all the expenses of the church, such as visitation costs and various expenses. The tithe is used for such things.
How does God bless us? It is precisely in this process that we are blessed; it is so wonderful, as if God has planned everything. You ask, "How can I be blessed?" God says, "I have a way: supply my children by giving your tithe to them, and I will give you more, let your produce increase next year, let your finances increase, so you can give to the Levites." This creates a virtuous cycle, and the nation becomes more prosperous.
During that time, the Israelites were quite prosperous. After the Book of Judges, the Israelites said, "The Levites do so little work and do not work; we will not give them offerings." The Levites could not live, so they had to leave the temple and look for work. They first found wealthy landowners and said, "Do you need a Levite in your house? I can serve as a Levite in your house." In the time of the Judges, the Israelites acted arbitrarily, doing whatever they wanted. As a result, the entire nation was often invaded and faced unrest. It was not until Samuel arose that the original chaos was restored.
However, later the Israelites committed the same mistakes repeatedly. Their rise and fall were always related to the Levites. When the Levites were blessed, it was because the Israelites supplied the Levites, and conversely, the Levites became their blessing. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to receive God's blessing at the mercy seat, while the people prayed outside, waiting. When the high priest came out from the Holy of Holies, he brought God's blessing, saying: "This year, the Lord will bless you with favorable weather and abundant harvest." The blessings received by the people were fulfilled according to what the high priest said.
If this high priest is not good and is struck dead by God in the Holy of Holies, then no matter how hard you work that year, there will be no harvest. This means that whether this group of people can be blessed is not the result of the people's efforts; it is influenced by the goodness or badness of the high priest. This group of Levites determines the rise and fall of the entire nation, Amen!
This is how God works; who determines our economy and our rise and fall? It is Jesus Christ! Jesus is our high priest; He is forever accepted by God, Amen! He serves before God forever, and there is no need to change priests. Now our high priest is Jesus Christ; from now on, there is no need to change priests; He is forever accepted and blessed by God. What He gives us is also eternally blessed, ensuring that you do not have to wait forty-nine years for the year of jubilee or seven years for the year of rest; now it is not necessary because every year is, every day is. Amen!
Because of Jesus Christ, similarly, today’s blessings have not changed. When we are willing to take out a tithe to supply the church, God will greatly bless you because of this, Amen! This is a virtuous cycle and the best way for us to be blessed. If you treat it as an investment, you are wrong. It does not mean that if you donate ten dollars to the church, you will expect to receive one hundred dollars; that is not the meaning. It means that after you take out ten dollars to give to the church, God will bless you with thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold in what you do, Amen! When we do this, the parts of our lives that leak will be blocked by God.
When you are willing to present the tithe you have earned before God, God says, "You acknowledge that I am the master of your money; I will manage all your expenses for this month, Amen! Any sickness that should occur, God says it cannot happen; I will block the leaks for you. If an accident were to happen, God says it cannot happen; I will block it. He acknowledges that I am his Lord and lets me manage everything; I will take responsibility for him. Amen!
Conversely, if you say, "This is my money; I will manage it myself," God says, "Okay, I cannot force you to do anything." As a result, you will find that managing it yourself leads to chaos; in this case, you cannot blame God. Do you understand? Brothers and sisters, this is a right of free choice; do you want God to manage your affairs? If you are willing to hand it over to God, you are actually acknowledging Him as your manager, and God will definitely manage you. If you say, "I will manage it myself," God will not punish you. Jesus is the high priest; you can manage it well yourself, but many times our management fails. The best way is to let God manage it, especially in terms of money; letting God manage it will make you increasingly joyful.
What does the tithe refer to? It is the tenth of your personal income. In the Old Testament, Abraham gave a tithe to the high priest Melchizedek, and Jacob vowed to give God a tithe. Jacob was a very calculating person; after deceiving his brother and father, that night he went out with nothing and slept with a stone as his pillow. In the middle of the night, he dreamed of God, and God said, "I will bless you; wherever you go, I will be with you!"
Jacob said, "If You will bless me, give me food to eat and clothing to wear, and bring me back to my father's house in peace, then I will acknowledge You as my God, and I will give You a tithe of all that You give me." Jacob was very calculating; the premise was that you let me be full, and I will give to You after I have everything. Even so, God still agreed to him; this is our God. No matter what, as long as you are willing to do this, God is still willing to bless you.
At this time, the blessings Jacob received were still very few. Until God changed his name to Israel, he transformed from someone who constantly grabbed to someone who continually gave. In the later stages, he was indeed very blessed. Until he met his son Joseph, when Joseph brought him to Egypt, he enjoyed his old age there. The Pharaoh of Egypt brought Jacob before him and said, "You bless me with a prayer." Jacob stretched out his hand to bless Pharaoh, proving that this old man had changed; he had stopped grabbing and learned to give. He found that when he was willing to give, he had everything. Amen!
It is a very wonderful thing, especially in material terms; I hope my brothers and sisters have beautiful testimonies; this is a particularly wonderful thing! In the New Testament era, the Lord Jesus both approved the Pharisees for keeping the tithe but also reproached their motives.
Luke 11:42: But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
The tithe is indeed a blessing for the Pharisees, but more important than the tithe are God's justice, mercy, and love. Why you give is more important than how much you give. For example, when you see that a brother or sister is indeed in difficulty, and you help them, that is also a form of giving. In this regard, we should be more open-minded. It is not only about putting money in the offering box; if you see someone in need, whether they are believers or non-believers, and you do your best to help them, that is giving. God also remembers such giving very much. Amen!
For instance, some time ago, many in our church donated their clothes, packing five full bags of clothes to send to Yunnan, where such items are greatly needed. God remembers such giving very much and will make us abundantly sufficient in material terms; this is a seed sown.
1 Corinthians 9:6: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
In fact, the principle of giving is this; this world is like a field. God says you can plant wheat, and you will have thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold harvest; at least you will have thirtyfold. You plant one seed of wheat, and after it dies, you will harvest at least thirty seeds. You can count at home; is there not one wheat head that has thirty seeds, sixty seeds, or a hundred seeds? It is indeed thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold blessings.
This requires faith to do such things. For example, if someone has two hundred pounds of grain and in the same one-acre field, this person only plants ten pounds and says, "Lord, You will give me a hundredfold blessing; I will harvest ten thousand pounds of grain." Will that work? If you only plant ten pounds of wheat and hope to harvest ten thousand pounds, no matter how great your faith is, that will not happen unless you plant more.
This is not the same; brothers and sisters, this is the principle of sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly, sowing bountifully and reaping bountifully! It does not mean that if you plant one seed today, you can expect to harvest ten thousand pounds; no matter how great your faith is, there will be no such result. At most, you will harvest a hundred seeds; the principle is like this, based on our own faith. God allows believers to try; the only promise is this!
Malachi 3:10: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
12 And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of hosts.
Two aspects of blessings: God gives you not only material blessings but also gives you a joyful heart, Amen! This is very important, brothers and sisters. God says, "Test Me in this." In the Old Testament, it is clearly stated that you shall not test the Lord your God. Here, the only thing in the entire Bible that God allows us to test Him on is this matter, meaning God knows we do not have faith. In this sensitive matter, God says, "Why don’t you try for a year? Plant wheat in winter and harvest in summer."
Do not look at this land as unworthy; first, plant ten pounds of grain and see if you really reap; then you will have faith. This is the only promise God allows us to test Him on. Many people have tried and found that God is faithful and real. I have also tried, so I am not worried about this matter. I wish for all of you to try. God will give you two aspects of blessings: one is material blessings, and the other is that people will call you blessed. God not only blesses you materially but also ensures that you have no gaps in your family.
Many people have money but have no time to spend with their families; God will not let you be like that. God gives you a prosperous life and also gives you time to gather with your family. Together, enjoy this blessing. Earlier, we read that God is the one who richly gives us all things to enjoy; isn’t that wonderful!
When you rely on yourself, you will find that you work hard to earn money but have no time. When you have time, you have no money. These two things seem to never come together. But relying on God will be different; God will let you have both, Amen! Just like we say, you cannot have both fish and bear's paw, but God will give you a bear that catches fish!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for Your grace. We have shared together the gifts You have given us, which are to serve our brothers and sisters and build the body of Christ. Let us build the church, not to boast about how great our gifts are or how much ability we have, but to use this ability to serve our brothers and sisters. You have given us money to help those who are weak and to help the poor, thus glorifying Your name.
When we are willing to do this, the blessings You give us will be overflowing. Lord, thank You for treating us this way! In these matters, we believe in God, thus glorifying God. Today, all the brothers and sisters who hear the word will have abundant blessings in material things; all glory be to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!