Teaching on Giving
A series of articles by Dominic De Souza on "God, Money & the Church" (these first appeared in the magazine, The LGCC News).
- Putting Money in Its Place in the Church - September 2009
- Stewards Not Owners - October 2009
- The Rewards of Financial Stewardship - November 2009
- Worshipping God with your Possessions - December 2009
- Prospering in a Time of Famine - January 2010
- Tithes and Offerings - What's the Difference? - February 2010
- The Two Tithes - March 2010
- The Tithe and the Storehouse - April 2010
- Giving from the Heart - May 2010
- The Dangers of Wealth - June 2010
- So what's all this Prosperity Gospel Stuff? - July 2010
- You don't have to be rich to give - September 2010
You don't have to be rich to give
by Dominic De Souza - September 2010
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. (2 Corinthians 8:2-4)
It can sometimes be presumed that giving is just for the rich. But the biblical teaching is that giving is for everyone. Here, in 2 Corinthians 8:2-4, Paul is boasting about the churches of Macedonia, for though they were in the deepest depths of poverty, they gave generously to their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem as their hearts were moved by God. What is the most astounding thing about their offering is that the gifts were not given begrudgingly, but out of a willing and sacrificial heart.
Here is an outstanding example of giving. And yet the givers were poor themselves. If anyone had a reason not to give, it would be these Christians – in fact they could have done with an offering themselves. And yet they gave even beyond their ability. I think this – just like the poor widow in Mark 12 who gave all she had - is the kind of giving that catches God’s attention, for our offerings must first mean something to us if they are to have any kind of value in God’s estimation.
Verse 5 of 2 Corinthians 8 reveals the secret as to why the Macedonian Chrisians were able to give in such a way: “they gave themselves first to the Lord”. The fact of the matter is that when we have given ourselves to the Lord, this will result in generous giving. His heart cause becomes our heart cause.
This means that our attitude to money makes a strong statement about our attitude to God. Yes, our use of money – our stewardship of money - shows what a person thinks of God and is an indicator of our heart priorities. In fact, it could be said that our bank statements and chequebook stubs are theological documents – they tell us who and what we worship. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. You would think that our treasures should go where our heart is. I guess it does work that way, but it’s also true that our heart will follow where we put our treasures. But Jesus recognises that when we put our money into something we start to develop an interest in – a heart for – it.
Put your treasures in the things of God – that’s one way you will develop a heart for God’s kingdom cause. Do you want to feel more a part of your local church? Then onvest yourself in what your church is all about. Do you want to have a heart for the poor? Then give your money to the poor. Do you want to have a heart for evangelism? Then put your money in missions.
The gifts of and the manner in which the Macedonian Christians gave says a lot about them. We must aim to be like the Macedonian Christians. They rejoiced in the opportunity of being able to do good and being able to bless others. Their example reminds us that you don’t have to be rich to give.
I have encountered people a number of times who say that they wish to give but need to wait until their financial situation turns around. That may seem prudent, but in the scheme of kingdom economics, I’ve seldom found that this is the best thing to do – for we miss out on all the blessings associated with giving and all the things that God wants to do with our giving. Also, if we adopt the stance that we will wait until we are “rich” to start giving, it is likely that we will never get to that place where we think we have plenty, or when we think we finally do have enough, because we have not fostered a habit of giving, it will seem like too much to give anyway.
Over this series we have been exploring the biblical teaching of giving. There has been a challenge: for some that may mean to begin tithing, for others to step out in offerings, for others to keep faithfully giving. The story of the Macedonians reminds us that our giving is an act of worship independent of our own financial situation. Their story has been repeated many times since, and one of the things that often amazes me is how so often it is “the poor” who are the best givers. I have heard many people from the West go to developing nations on missions and coming back saying “you can never out-give the poor”. I think that’s true.
But one thing I know, you can never outgive God. “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Once we give ourselves to the Lord – once we allow his heart and his cause to intersect with our own – we can’t help but give. God is a giver. He gave us his most precious gift as the expression of his love for us (cf. John 3:16). Let’s respond with true heart giving towards the things that are on his heart.
So what's all this Prosperity Gospel Stuff?
by Dominic De Souza - July 2010
In our era of international “Christian” media, it is quite possible you may have heard statements from tele-evangelists such as the following:
“God has promised that you can all be rich and healthy now”
“If you have enough faith, you will be healed”
“Decide what you want, believe that it's yours, and confess it” ”
“No believer should ever be sick”
“Give and you will get”
“If you give your money into THIS ministry, God will give you more money”
“Name it, claim it by faith, and guaranteed, it is yours!”
Such statements are typical of the so-called “health and wealth gospel”, or “prosperity theology”, usually promulgated by mega-rich preachers who either directly or indirectly imply that we too can share their obviously affluent and prosperous lifestyle (if we do what they say, which often involves sending our money their way). In its most extreme form, the health and wealth gospel teaches that we can command God by our words and that God wants all believers to be healthy and wealthy. It is modeled on a theology of the spoken word or of thought-actualisation, commonly known as “positive confession”.
So what are we to make of all this? For a number of reasons, I believe that the “prosperity gospel”, preached in its extreme form, does not belong within the world of Christian practice and theology:
Reason #1: a mistaken doctrine of God and positive confession
I have heard some prosperity teachers teach that if you speak a word out in faith, God is obliged to fulfil it. Now, though the Bible does teach about the power of the tongue (e.g. James 3:1-12), this is a clearly an abuse and perversion of biblical teaching. Our words are not some kind of mystical weapon by which we can manipulate or alter reality. God is not obligated to heal or prosper anyone and we can make no demands on him to do so. This is a false application of the principle of positive confession, for God is not bound by our words.
Reason #2: a faulty view of faith
The biblical concept of faith involves believing what God has already revealed, not believing what we want based on our greeds, lusts, fancies whims or desires. Faith is not something that we can use to manipulate God in order to get what we want. True faith is about looking to the promises of God. In Daniel 3:17-18, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not say, “If we have enough faith, the Lord will deliver us, but otherwise we will die'. They said,“… If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up".
What if God had allowed them to die? Would that have been because they lacked faith? Or because they had made a negative confession? Of course not. The fact is that if God has not revealed it, it won’t happen. True faith means looking to the spiritual reality in heaven and then believing God to see it realised on earth. We are called to have faith in God and his Word, not faith in ourselves and our word. This is why we cannot afford to cut faith loose from the choice, decision sovereignty of God – for faith is only meaningful within this context.
Reason #3: the implication that if you’re not healthy or wealthy, something is wrong with you
If you examine the extreme prosperity gospel, it implies that a believer who is not rich is somehow living out of God’s intended will, and that someone who is prospering materially de facto is. In other words, if a Christian is not healthy and wealthy this can be attributed to a lack of faith or some other omission on their part.
Of course, we just have to look around the world to see that millions of genuine and faithful followers of Christ live in poverty. And it’s often in these poor regions where the most outstanding examples of revival can be found – where souls are being saved and the true work of the gospel is being done. To say that being wealthy equals God’s favour would even exclude the earthly Jesus – so this is not even a theology that is big enough to accommodate Jesus! Ultimately, material prosperity is not a sure proof of godliness. Paul said in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”.
Reason #4: “health and wealth” corrupts our motive for giving
One thing that disturbs me about the extreme prosperity gospel is its focus on the accumulation of wealth through giving. This desire may be guised at times, but there is not one place in the Bible where it says you are to give money to the Lord's work to acquire luxury items. Giving is always an act of worship – if the blessings come, then that’s secondary. But we don’t give to get. We don’t seek God’s hand - we must seek his face!
We could cite many more reasons as to why the extreme prosperity gospel, motivated by a desire for money by those commercialise the Christian faith to their own selfish advantage,
is a gross prostitution of the message of Jesus Christ. But these four reasons must suffice for now.
Nevertheless, having said all this, I want to conclude by reminding you that I’ve been talking about the extreme prosperity theology, not prosperity generally. Indeed, God does have a plan of abundance for your life – and that is, that you would have more than enough for yourself and more than enough to bless others. And God is into healing too. The atonement brought release from the consequences of sin (and not just the penalty) and that means we can legitimately believe God for healing and wealth generation for his kingdom cause. It’s just that we must always keep these within a biblical context. This is what the extreme prosperity gospel fails to do, thereby perverting the true theology of prosperity and healing which is actually there in the Scriptures.
So you can believe God for financial provision and healing. Nevertheless, we must remember that, since we have not yet received the “redemption of our bodies” , suffering and death are still our lot until the final resurrection. Therefore, though we can believe for healing and abundance, we cannot be presumptuous in the area of divine healing or blessing. Again, this does not mean that God wants to make everyone a millionaire. What it does mean though is that the Lord wants you to have food on the table to feed your kids - to have shelter and heat and clothes to wear.
Ultimately the blessings of “health and wealth” come by “seeking first the kingdom of God” (cf. Matthew 6:33) – it is not merely a case of “naming it and claiming it” or “blabbing it and it grabbing it”, or even giving financial donations into a specific ministry.
The Bible does promise a time of wonderful, ultimate fulfillment - though not in this life. But whoever said that the goal of life is happiness? It’s not - it’s knowledge of God, and only this will ultimately bring true and everlasting human fulfillment. For me, this brings to the fore the root error of the gospel of health and wealth, and that is that it seeks to apply a theology of future glory to the believer in the here and now. Jesus, however, taught something different: he taught a theology for here and now that both sustains believers in hard times, holds out hope for tomorrow and promises a time of glory in eternity.
The Dangers of Wealth
by Dominic De Souza - June 2010The Bible is absolutely clear that wealth is both very good and very dangerous. In this series of articles, we have discovered that wealth can be a great blessing - Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that it is the Lord who gives us the power to produce wealth. But the Bible also warns of the threat that wealth can pose to the true pursuit of God (e.g. Matthew 6:24 & Mark 10:25).
Few passages illustrate the perils of prosperity as vividly and explicitly as Ezekiel 16. Here the Lord laments Israel’s mishandling of his blessings, which is cited as one of the reasons why the nation has been led into exile.
“10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. 14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15 " 'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favours on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his’.” (Ezekiel 16:10-15)
This passage is particularly striking because of the way it affirms both the positive aspect of wealth as a gift that comes from a generous and loving God, and the dangers of wealth as something that competes with God as our source of security and significance. God lavished the blessings of wealth and prosperity upon his people and treated Israel like a beloved wife, yet the people still turned their hearts from him.
Even earlier in Ezekiel, we see that God’s people had allowed their love of money to lead them into sin. Ezekiel 7:19 relates how God gave the people silver and gold, but they used this silver and gold to pursue idolatrous goals:
“19 They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the LORD's wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin.”
This reminds us that the resources God gives us should be used to do his work and carry out his will, not simply to satisfy our own desires. It is so sad that we all too often use money - a gift of God - to buy or pursue things that separate us from him, the true source of satisfaction. This is irony of the highest order, for when we abuse or misappropriate God’s gifts or use his resources selfishly, we miss the real purpose God has in mind - both for ourselves and for others.
So there are dangers attached to wealth and we must be on guard against these. This is because, as we have been learning, there is often a power associated with money (though money is itself neutral and can be used both for good or for evil) that can easily lead people into sin. This is why Paul said that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).
I believe that this potentially hazardous nature of wealth is one of the reasons why the Bible encourages us to give and be generous. Giving is the antidote to many of the dangers of wealth, and generosity has the power to relieve the tension that exists between the inherent goodness of wealth and the perils of prosperity. This is because, when we give, we repel that tendency within us to trust in our wealth and ourselves. Giving causes us to take the focus off of ourselves and put it onto God and others, thereby helping us to obey the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). This is one of the reasons why Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive (cf. Acts 20:35).
Money can be a great tool when used according to God’s purposes. And Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:11 that our “generosity will result in thanksgiving to God”. So let’s be generous. Don’t be like the people of Ezekiel’s day who became entangled in the dangers of wealth and perverted God’s perfect blessings. Determine to use your finances to give God the glory that is due his name.
Giving from the Heart
by Dominic De Souza - May 2010In previous articles we have discussed the New Testament’s tithe of grace and have determined that the tithe is a good benchmark for the believer as - in keeping with scriptural imperatives - he/she seeks to set aside a proportion of his/her income to support God’s work through his/her local church.
We may say, then, that the discipline of tithing - the giving of the first 10% of one’s income and financial increase - is good and beneficial. As important as this is, however, scripturally there is something far more important than the percentage issue: our attitude. The tithe may indeed be the minimum standard in giving, but we have to remember that God looks beyond what we give (though he looks at that too!) and into our hearts as givers.
In this regard, the story from Mark 12:41-44 about the widow’s offering is noteworthy. Here, after observing the rich who put in “large amounts” and the widow who puts in just “two very small copper coins”, Jesus makes the startling claim that the widow has in fact put in more. Surely Jesus was wrong here? I mean, the sum of two small copper coins is clearly less in terms of monetary value than “large amounts”. The widow, naturally speaking, put in very little, and I don’t think anyone at the time would have been impressed with her seemingly inconsequential offering. On the other hand, I could imagine that there was probably lots "ooohing" and "ahhhing" as the rich people gave and the trumpets sounded as the money fell into the collection boxes.
But Jesus was not wrong. For Jesus was looking with spiritual eyes into the widow’s heart and he saw the quality of heart with which she gave and how she wanted to honour God in her giving. Of course, unlike the other givers in this story, the widow didn’t receive the praises of people for her giving, but she did receive the praises of God - so much so that her story was recorded for posterity.
In times past it has been argued that this story of the widow’s offering proves that what we give is not important. Well, certainly it shows that the heart is the most important thing, and that attitude is more important than amount. But the story does not teach that amount is not important. The story does not provide a biblical loophole to give less than we can or should – that would be an indication of a wrong attitude and a failure to grasp what Jesus is actually saying. If anything the widow’s example should motivate us to give our very best.
This is because what we give (i.e. amount) is a great indication of our heart (i.e. attitude). In fact, our giving is a window into our heart and - as with the widow - it really is the case that our attitude towards money reveals our attitude towards God. That’s why in the story Jesus was quite literally “watching” what people gave. Of course, the story demonstrates that God ultimately measures this not by the pound, but by our own situations and heart attitudes. Thus a sacrificial £20 gift from a person struggling financially may be more precious in the eyes of God than a £200 “tip” from a millionaire. For we see in this story that Jesus measured the widow’s giving not in terms of what she gave, but what she kept back. And in this instance, she gave it all - she kept back nothing. She gave 100% towards the work of the Lord. And that’s why Jesus was so pleased by her example.
Sometimes we can get so bent up on the percentages/ amounts that we forget about the heart attitude of giving. As we have been learning, however, we are no longer under a legalistic tithe system. We give out of relationship with God – and our giving is a manifestation of the sincerity of our love for God and others (1 Corinthians 13:3 & 2 Corinthians 8:8). This means that our attitude should not be one of obligation, but heartfelt desire and readiness (Exodus 25:2 & 2 Corinthians 8:3-4,11-12).
In all things, including giving, it starts from the heart. It is a waste of money to give with half a heart. You will regret that you gave, and as we learn in the case of the widow’s rich giving counterparts, there is no reward from God for that. Therefore, in the words of Paul, “each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). This is the kind of giving that makes a loud sound in heaven!
The Tithe and the Storehouse
by Dominic De Souza - April 2010For those who are convinced about the biblical value of tithing, the question now arises, who should the tithe be presented to? Is it biblically permissible to give the tithe to whomever or whatever Christian cause we like? Can the tithe be distributed across various churches, ministries and to any needy people around us? To be specific, could we give 5% of our tithe to LGCC, 2% of it to needy relatives abroad, 2% of it to Joe Bloggs Ministries Inc. and maybe the remaining 1% to a local homeless person?
In a key passage about tithing in Malachi 3, the Bible makes it clear that the tithe is to be brought into the “storehouse”. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this’, says the Lord Almighty...” What is this “storehouse” that the prophet Malachi is referring to? In the ancient world the storehouse was a supply warehouse for the storage of food and drink, treasures, and military equipment/ weapons. The storehouse was a place from which resources would be taken so that the local administrative area could be run effectively.
Malachi’s hearers would have interpreted the “storehouse” as the treasury in the temple where the tithe was put, out of which it was distributed to the Levites and priests. Applied in New Testament terms, it is apparent that the storehouse must be equivalent to the local church - the fellowship where the believer gets fed and draws their primary spiritual resources from (and the means through which God has ordained that we reach our world). This would mean, therefore, that the tithe belongs to the local church. Practically speaking, though one may be blessed by another ministry outside his or her local church, the tithe should always be directed towards one’s local church.
Of course this means that the questions above as to whether a tithe can be distributed across several areas must be answered with a biblical “no”, though we are encouraged to give offerings to other areas - both in and beyond our local churches - as the Lord leads, as finances permit and as a cause may grip our hearts.
If you recall, in the Old Testament, the Levites – in a way that was dissimilar to the other tribes - were not given any land to live off. Instead they received the tithes of the people, and this was used in part to provide for both them and the priests as they carried out their distinctive work in and around the Tabernacle/ Temple:
"I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.” (Numbers 18:21)
Interestingly, Paul seems to apply this principle to the “professional” workers of the New Testament church in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14. We may say, therefore, that the tithe is God’s way of making sure that the ministry of the local church is properly resourced and fully financed.
At this point let me say that the tithe should be given to one’s specific local church, not just any church. I recently was approached by someone from another church who felt blessed by our ministry and wanted to divert the tithe from her home church to LGCC. I had to tell her “no”. Indeed, if LGCC is not your home church, then you should not tithe to LGCC (though you are welcome to give offerings!). However, if you are from LGCC, then you should bring your tithe to LGCC.
The biblical data suggests that the tithe should not be distributed across several areas/ministries/churches/needs as and how we determine. In this, we also do well to remember that God considers and claims the tithe as his (in actual fact, all that we have belongs to God – it’s just that he graciously gives us 90% to administer ourselves). If we truly believe that the tithe belongs to God, we must give it back to him as he commands. We can’t give it back to him with conditions as to how it should be used – “here’s my 10% God - but I’m giving half of it to my local church and half of it to my needy friend Bob”. That would be like someone returning to me a £50 note which I had given to them on loan, but saying that they would only give it back to me providing that I spent £25 on my son and put £25 in the offering. Now, I may want to do that – but it’s my money and whether I actually do or don’t doesn’t concern them.
I’ve said previously that, unlike I do with offerings, I don’t even pray about whether to tithe - I just do it. My tithe is not my money – and therefore it is not mine to determine how it should be used or where it should go.
Ultimately, the tithe is God’s provision for the ministry of the local church – it should be brought in whole to the local church and submitted to the leaders to administer according to God’s guidance. The leaders are charged with using the tithe for the general and administrative support of the local body, and also for the propagation of the gospel in word and deed through that local body.
The Two Tithes
by Dominic De Souza - March 2010
Tithing is clearly an Old Testament principle. In fact, under the Law of Moses it was a legal requirement – all of Israel had to tithe at least 10 percent of everything they earned and grew to the Levitical priesthood, as a way of providing the Levites with an income, helping the poor and also for the service of God’s work. (In actual fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes [at least three: Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-32; Deuteronomy 12:6; 14:22-29 & 26:12], which would have probably pushed the total to around 23.3 percent.)
This kind of tithing also extends itself to the pages of the New Testament. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees who, despite being faithful and meticulous in tithing, neglected the weightier matters of justice, mercy and faith. This passage from Matthew 23 is often used to claim that Jesus nullified the practice of tithing. But this is a poor reading of the story - far from refuting tithing, Jesus endorses it: “You should have practiced the latter (i.e. tithing), without neglecting the former (i.e. mercy, justice and faith)” (v.23).
Nevertheless, it is important to remember that Jesus was addressing Jewish people here. Clearly the first Jewish believers paid tithes to the religious leaders and, at least initially, also brought their sacrifices to the Jerusalem temple – but they did this because they were Jews. When the Gentiles started to enter the early church, a dispute began as to which Jewish regulations these non-Jews should observe. This eventually brought about the conference in Jerusalem, described in Acts 15, and it was here that the apostles decided that Gentile believers need abstain only from sexual immorality, food sacrificed to idols, and the meat of strangled animals. This meant that they did not have to follow other aspects of the Jewish ceremonial or religious law: they did not have to offer sacrifices, they did not have to be circumcised, and neither did they have to tithe according to the Law of Moses.
The implication of this is that in the New Covenant, this kind of tithing – tithing under the Law – is no longer a mandatory requirement, and in that sense has been abolished (though the New Testament moves in favour of a more radical kind of heart-giving, e.g. Luke 21:1-4 or 1 John 3:16-18).
However, there is a second tithe in the Bible, and this both predates and postdates the Law of Moses, and is found on the pages of both the Old and New Testaments too. This is the tithe under grace, and this is the tithe that I believe is especially relevant for today.
In Genesis 14:17-20, hundreds of years before the Mosaic Law was instituted, we see that Abraham gave “a tenth of everything” to the high priest Melchizedek (whose name means “King of Righteousness”). This was a response to Melchizedek’s priesthood and a way of bringing glory and honour to Melchizedek. Melchizedek in this story is a representative of Christ, and the book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus is actually a high priest in the order of Melchizedek, and not Levi (Hebrews 6:20, cf. Psalm 110:4). In Hebrews 7 the author goes on to make a distinction between the two covenants (the Old and the New) and the two priesthoods (that of Levi and the superior one of Melchizedek). In doing this he draws out a comparison of the two tithes: the tithe of Abraham and the tithe under the Law.
It is very instructive that, even though the Law has now been fulfilled because of Jesus’ perfect obedience and death on the cross, the author of Hebrews still affirms the tithe of Abraham. Indeed, if there ever was a New Testament book in which you’d expect tithing to be abolished wholesale, it would be Hebrews. The purpose of Hebrews is to demonstrate how much better the New Covenant in Christ is compared to the old - and the author puts forward example after example to demonstrate this. But how does he deal with the “old” matter of tithing? Far from abolishing it - as he does with daily sacrifices, for example - he affirms Abraham’s tithe of grace. Indeed, the author holds up Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek as an example to us. Perhaps this means that an equally appropriate response for us to Christ’s high priestly ministry is to tithe to Christ? The implication is that just as Abraham’s tithe brought glory and honour to Melchizedek, tithing today is an obvious and fitting response to Jesus’ high priestly ministry.
However, just like Abraham, we don’t tithe because we are under a legalistic tithe system - we tithe under grace. This means that under the New Covenant tithing is no longer an enforced tax or something that we do because we have to – we tithe as an act of thanksgiving, honour and recognition of Jesus’ high priestly ministry.
So “must a Christian tithe?” My answer is “no”, just as it would be to the question “must a Christian read their Bible every day?” That’s why as a leader I will never force or try to manipulate anyone in my congregation to tithe, as if it’s some kind of absolute biblical law. But to the question, “should a Christian tithe?”, my answer is a definite “yes”. Tithing is a good thing – a great, biblical principle for the benefit of all concerned. And that’s why as a pastor I will always encourage my congregation members to tithe. This is because I want to see them walk in God’s very best, and this includes the blessings of tithing and giving (e.g. Malachi 3:10 & 2 Corinthians 9:6).
In future articles we’ll be unpacking the idea that the New Testament calls us to an even more radical kind of giving (much more than the 10% of the Old Testament). For now we must keep in mind that, though we are not under the Mosaic Law, there are still New Testament commands for us to give from our income in order to support the work of the church (e.g. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 & 2 Corinthians 9:7). In this regard, the practice of tithing reminds us that we should keep on giving proportionately to the Lord as he blesses us. The tithe is also a very helpful minimum guide as we strive to develop a lifestyle of generous giving and put into practice the New Testament calls to give (I say “minimum” because again, in comparison to those who were under Law, Christians are called to even more extravagant freewill giving in response to God’s gospel of grace).
Tithes and Offerings - What's the Difference?
by Dominic De Souza - February 2010
It is not unusual for people to misunderstand the difference between tithes and offerings. Put simply, tithing is the principle of giving 10% of one’s income and financial increase to the “storehouse” of the local church. Offerings, on the other hand, refer to additional freewill giving out of the remaining 90%, often directed to the additional work of the local church, though not necessarily.
As a personal example, I give 10% of my salary and 10% of any financial increase to LGCC. But then I also give freewill offerings, either as I feel prompted and directed by the Lord, or towards a cause that grips my heart such as child poverty, or at times as a way of honouring a minister or ministry that God has used to bless me. These offerings are very often to specific ministries within LGCC (e.g. The Extra Smile Project, missions, etc.) but also include other charities, ministries or individuals outside of LGCC.
Offerings are to do with generosity and are ultimately down to our own discretion. We also have to take into account our own financial situation (though at the same time we must endeavour to get God’s perspective on the matter – sometimes he prompts us to give even out of our poverty, cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Of course it is always good to be generous with the 90% - not only for the cause/ ministry we are supporting, but also for ourselves. Acts 20:35 records that Jesus said “it is more blessed to give than to receive”, and Proverbs 11:25 says that “a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”.
The tithe, on the other hand, is different. For me, whether I am in financial plenty or could do with a little more, the tithe is a non-negotiable. I don’t even pray about whether to tithe or not (unlike I do with my offerings) – I just do it! As Malachi 3 points out, the tithe belongs to God. It is not mine to touch (in fact, as we saw in the “Stewardship” article, everything we have belongs to God – it’s just that God has graciously and generously given us freedom to administer the rest of the 90%).
My experience has always been that I’ve been better off when I’ve tithed. Naturally speaking, this doesn’t make sense (surely you’d be better off with 100% than 90%?), but then God’s scheme of things often doesn’t make sense. I guess a blessed 90% is better than an unblessed 100%! Indeed, as the prophet Malachi says, when we bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, God opens up the windows of heaven and pours out blessing over us.
In fact, Malachi 3:10 presents the tithe as the key that unlocks God’s storehouse of heavenly blessing. Of course, God can certainly bless us without tithing – and he does. But we can only get the blessings that come with tithing if we tithe. What are these blessings of tithing? Malachi 3 makes it clear:
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty (Malachi 3:10-12, emphasis mine).
In future editions of The LGCC News we’ll be looking at the question, “must a Christian tithe?” and also why the tithe should always be designated towards your local church. But let it suffice to say that Christians are not under any law, and in that sense are not required to tithe (just as we are not required to read our Bible or pray every day or be part of a Discipleship Group – though these are of course great and healthy things to do which are really beneficial for us). So we don’t tithe because we are under law; rather tithing is an appropriate response to Jesus’ high priestly ministry, and also a helpful minimum benchmark of Christian giving.
This year, if you are not doing so already, I challenge you to make a commitment to tithe. If tithing is new for you, why not resolve to tithe for the next 6 months and then assess it after that? Tithing is the only area in Scripture in which God explicitly challenges us to test him. Remember, you can never out-give God and tithing is one of the means through which he wants to minister his blessing unto you. So take God at his word and see if he will not send overwhelming blessing and provision to you as you put into practice this great principle of biblical economics.
Prospering in a Time of Famine
by Dominic De Souza - January 2010
In Genesis 26 Isaac had to contend with physical famine: he was in Gerar and famine struck the region. The natural thing to do was to go down to Egypt where things were seemingly much better, but God spoke to Isaac at this time and showed him how he could prosper where he was in a land of famine:
“Now there was a famine in the land—besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time—and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.’ So Isaac stayed in Gerar” (Genesis 26:1-6).
Firstly, God told Isaac not to go down to Egypt (v.2). It is important to appreciate that in Scripture Egypt is often a symbol of the world – the system of ideas organised in active hostility and rebellion against God that is opposed to God’s way of doing things. So in instructing Isaac not to go down to Egypt, God was telling Isaac not to go the world’s way, or to look to the world’s system for answers.
When it comes to finances specifically - especially when things are tough - it is easy to look to Egypt, that is, to trust in the world’s system, rather than in God’s principles of kingdom economics. The world says that the way to prosper economically is to keep and to hoard, or at least to prioritise oneself ahead of others in the decisions that we make about our finances. But God says that one of the secrets to economic success is in giving away: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). Far from depleting our resources, according to the Bible we are better off when we give (cf. Acts 20:35).
Secondly, God told Isaac that he should stay put in Gerar (v.3). Often when things get uncomfortable we look to move on to pastures new. But unless God has specifically instructed us to do so, this all too often takes us down the wrong path. When life gets difficult, we tend to either withdraw or withhold, but God often wants us to stand firm in our situation and apply his Word to our famine. Thus in a marriage relationship facing a famine of love, it is quite acceptable if the man and the woman just give up. Applying biblical principles to the situation, however, the outcome may be very different. Or when things get tough financially, we withold our tithes and offerings, not realising that this is the very means through which God wants to bless us (cf. Malachi 3:6-12).
Thirdly, and at God’s leading, Isaac sowed seed in the famine-struck land (verse 12). Naturally speaking, because of the dry conditions which would never produce a harvest, it was foolish to sow seed. But, in expectation of a harvest, Isaac trusted God’s word and sowed his valuable seed.
We may be facing an economic famine today, but don’t stop sowing – don’t stop tithing or giving or prioritising kingdom causes. Because the fact of the matter is that your giving, coupled with the power of God, produces supernatural results. Just ask the boy who supplied his five loaves and two small fish in the feeding of the 5,000!
And Genesis 26:12 reveals the supernatural results of Isaac’s seed-sowing:
“Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.”
Whatever your circumstances, prioritise the Word of God. Oftentimes the biblical principles of giving may seem contrary to our own logic (e.g. “it is more blessed to give than to receive”, Acts 20:35), but God’s Word always works, even in a time of famine!
These are difficult financial times. The financial forecasts for the UK in 2010 may seem bleak. But continue to sow the seeds of godly obedience – not just in finances but in any area where you are experiencing lack. That is the way to have victory in the midst of the famine. And the world will even take notice of the blessing of God on your life:
The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him (Genesis 26:13-14).
Worshipping God with Your Possessions
by Dominic De Souza - December 2009
The Bible actually demonstrates that worship is comprehensive and all-embracing - it teaches that we must worship God with every part of our being, withholding nothing, and this includes our possessions as well. This tangible requirement for worship is expressed succinctly by Paul in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). If you read a few verses further on (vv. 13-20), you’ll see that for Paul offering ourselves to God in “spiritual worship” includes offering all our bodily life and our material possessions.
Indeed, the Bible does not separate our worship from the giving of our material wealth. For instance, Psalm 96:7-9 includes an amazing call to worship. Yet sandwiched between this call (v. 8) is a practical command to bring an offering as one enters into God’s courts:
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
This is because offering is part of worship – or to put it another way, our worship must be expressed concretely through practical, heart-felt giving and action.
Jesus himself taught that it is impossible to separate our worship from our material wealth and resources: “
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
” (Matthew 6:21).
I think this kind of thinking explains Moses’ actions in Exodus 10. Remember the context. Moses had been pleading with Pharaoh to let’s God’s people go. Pharaoh finally gives the Israelites permission to leave, so long as they leave their livestock in Egypt. That sounds like a pretty good deal. But what does Moses do? He refuses to accept. Why? Because Moses understood the importance of worshipping God with possessions.
Moses told Pharaoh, “We have to use some of them in worshipping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord” (Exodus 10:26). As far as Moses was concerned, all animals had to be reserved for the worship of God - that’s why he declared that “not a hoof is to be left behind” (10:26a). Moses knew that worship needed to be expressed concretely: “
But Moses said, ‘You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God’
” (10:25).
These biblical truths suggest that, just as it is impossible to worship God without using our hearts, it is equally impossible to worship God without using the material substance that he has blessed us with. For in many ways our willingness to surrender our material wealth unto God reveals our attitude towards God.
In tithes and offerings we have an amazing opportunity for worship. In fact, though there are great blessings that come to us as we are faithful and generous in our giving, worship should be the greatest motivation to give – for it should always be that we are seeking God’s face as opposed to simply the blessings of his hand.
This Christmas I encourage you to make a commitment in your giving to be like the Magi from the East (i.e. the so-called “three Wise Men”). They took out of their treasures and, in an act of worship, presented a gift worthy of their King:
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh
(Matthew 2:11).
The Rewards of Financial Stewardship
by Dominic De Souza - November 2009
When it comes to finance specifically, our faithfulness in the use of money determines whether we will receive the rewards of, and enter into the blessings associated with stewardship.
In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches about these rewards. Many a preacher has interpreted the word “talents” here to mean “giftings” or “abilities”. That is certainly a valid reading, but we must also note that literally a “talent” was a monetary measure. In fact, it was a huge sum of money – for the value of what the master entrusted to his servants, even to the one with just one talent, was pretty vast (a denarius was a day’s wage and one talent was equivalent to about 6000 denarii – so we’re talking the equivalent of 17-20 years worth of salary).
Jesus relates how the three servants in the parable were entrusted with the care of their master’s money. It is apparent that the first two understand their master’s character, as well as the spirit and letter of his instructions. They both take a risk and trade to gain a profit - each of them makes a 100% profit. But fear and mistrust grip the third steward and he buries his talent in the ground and returns the original amount.
When the master comes back, the profitable servants are praised – they are given increased responsibilities and invited to enter into the joy of their master. This is their reward. But the untrusting servant receives severe judgement.
What is noteworthy here is that each servant in the parable was given something to steward. But their rewards were not based on how much they were given, but rather on what they did with what they were given – or to put it another way, on how faithfully they stewarded what they were given. The lesson here, therefore, is that whether we have much or little, our key responsibility as God’s stewards remains the same: faithfulness (cf. 1 Cor. 4:1-2).
Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2, NKJV).
What you have been given now is indeed a trial to determine what you will be given in the future. In relation to finance, increase comes to those who steward well the finances that have been entrusted to them. And as we see with these servants, God tests our faithfulness as stewards in little things before he places us in charge of bigger things.
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)
So honour God in your finances. Prioritise his cause. Step out in faith and invest in his kingdom. That way you will position yourself to reap the rewards of financial stewardship.
Stewards Not Owners
In the opening few pages of the Bible, God gave Adam the responsibility to care for the earth, as well as the birds, the fish and the animals that lived on it. None of these things belonged to Adam - he was simply to be a steward, or manager, of what belonged to God.
The New Testament word for stewardship is “oikonomia”, from which we derive the word “economy”. This word means “management of a household”, and it refers to the responsibility that is entrusted to a manager as the administrator of the affairs and possessions of his master.
Many people think that stewardship simply refers to finance. It certainly includes that. But from a biblical point of view, stewardship is inclusive of so much more. It actually relates to every area of life, including our time and talent as well as our treasure. Stewardship is about faithfully using whatever God has given us (e.g. opportunities, skills, homes, possessions, employment, family, spiritual gifts, etc.) for his glory.
This means that stewardship should be a way of life in which we regard ourselves and our possessions as a loan from God to be used for his glory. It means thinking of ourselves as custodians of everything that God has given us, recognising that the things which we call our own – even our very lives – in actual fact belong to God:
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it
(Psalm 24:1)
... for everything in heaven and earth is yours
(1 Chronicles 29:11)
“The silver is mine and the gold is mine”, declares the LORD Almighty
(Haggai 2:8).
Putting Money in It's Place in the Church
by Dominic De Souza - September 2009
There’s been a fair amount of abusive teaching and practices in the Church over the years when it comes to money. From the “indulgences” of Luther’s Day to the extravagant excesses of the modern “prosperity gospel”, the Church has sadly developed a bad reputation when it comes to money.
Some well-meaning leaders have responded by refusing to talk about money altogether. But to me, that’s like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. God indeed has much to teach us about money – a cursory glance of the Scriptures reveals that (Jesus himself talked more about money than he did heaven and hell combined!)
Other leaders choose not to talk about money for a different reason. They think that being poor equates to being holy – that poverty is a mark of high spirituality, and that money always and necessarily leads to evil pursuits. But to me this is equally dissatisfactory (and unbiblical).
The fact is that Christians live in the real world in which money is needed to provide homes, food, clothing, travel and the other necessities of life. Money is therefore an essential part of life (if you don’t have money, you’re in trouble!) – and that’s why we cannot afford to isolate our ideas about money from the rule of God in our lives.
I believe that only by teaching what the Bible has to say about money will we reduce any illegitimate power it has over us, as well as empower others to recognise when biblical teaching is being abused to selfish ends. That’s why I think that churches must teach about money.
God wants you to live a fulfilled life - and part of that involves being able to live secure in the knowledge that you have the money you need to do what he’s called you to do. Now, I’m not saying that money is the key to happiness or security. It’s not – God is. But not having to worry about paying your bills or whether you have enough to feed your family does go a long way to enabling you to focus on what God has called you to do in life (of course, the key here is trusting God, whether you have plenty or little, cf. Matthew 6:33).
God wants to bless you financially - for your well-being, enjoyment and most of all, for the advance of his kingdom. Do you know that God desires you to be prosperous in all things? Now, prosperity is not simply about finances, but it does include that. This does not mean that God plans to make you rich beyond your wildest dreams - if anything this kind of attitude is discouraged in the Bible. But it does not mean that you cannot live a life that is financially stable and secure, or have more than enough to meet your own needs (note, that I didn’t say greeds), or also have enough to be a blessing to others. (That’s one of the reasons why God gives us principles such as tithing and giving in the Scriptures – so that we can walk in his very best for our lives.)
Of course, as with most things, all this requires balance because it’s all too easy to dishonour God when it comes to money. Because we live in a fallen world, we are at high risk to sins such as greed and idolatry, and this is why the pursuit of money can easily lead us astray. The Bible tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10) - this means we have to be careful.
Some people, however, mistakenly read 1 Timothy 6:10 as if it says that “money is the root of all evil”. But this is not the case. Indeed, contrary to some Christian thought, money is not dirty, evil, or secular – it is neutral. This means it can be used for great good or for great evil. History is replete with examples of the terrible bondages which result if the latter, but in and of itself, money is not evil - it’s how we use that money which is often the real problem. To say money is evil is to misinterpret and confuse stories like the Rich Young Man in Mark 10 and the many warnings about a wrong attitude to wealth in Scripture with the idea that God is against wealth and possessions per se.
Ultimately, you can either honour or dishonour God with your money. Money is a good servant but a poor master – that’s why you need to make sure that you think about it in a godly way and use it according to God’s purposes.
Over the next months I’ll be bringing teaching in this section about God’s plan for your money. As we align ourselves with God’s Word, seeking first his kingdom, putting into practice the principles of kingdom economics, and applying key financial management concepts such as budgeting, saving and investing, only then can we begin to walk in financial freedom and live in God’s plan of blessing and abundance for us. In the meantime, seek to put money in its place - a place in which it serves as a tool for God’s purposes and an instrument for you to live the best and most effective life possible unto the glory of God.
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