Stewardship - Money

 Stewardship - Money, Time, Ability

We will conclude our series with Part C of our sub-series, Stewardship - Money and Time. I know, I know, I can see some of you cringe. I said the “M” word. Whenever some people see a Pastor, Minister, Reverend, Evangelist, or whatever, with a mic in one hand and a hand stretched out, they get downright angry, turn off, or may even walk out or shut off the TV. Why?

Now, is there abuse in the church? Of course. Are there pastors and church officials who will take your money and use it for their own gain? Yup. Just like bad doctors, police officers, drug company CEOs, whatever, there are bad pastors and administrators in the family of God. A lot of them can be seen on TV. 

Does that change any of the reasons we need to tithe and give offerings? Nope. You are obligated to tithe. If that pastor is misusing the tithes, that is between him and God. Nothing you could ever do could compare to what God can and will do to a deceitful person using Him and His church for selfish gain.

Is tithing and giving offerings biblical and still applicable? Yes. This is what we will be discussing today. Don’t shut down on me. Don’t get mad. Let us pray.

“Father, we come before you today, and we give you praise and thanksgiving for our lives to life everlasting, and all stops in between. We will be entering your Word today, and we pray that you will help us to understand the truth of your Word. We pray that we understand this concept that you have laid before us. This command that you have given us. If there is anything in our being that hinders us from receiving this message, we pray that you remove it far from us and give us a cheerful heart. We thank you and ask you this in Yeshau’s name. Amen.”

God did not create our monetary system; we did. If we were discussing the days of Malachi, we would mainly be talking about the harvest: fruits, grains, animals, etc. However, fast forward to today, and the power company does not want your pig. No, today we deal with money. Nonetheless, we have been handling money for a long time. God does not need our money, so why are we told we need to give to the local church?

First, it is not yours to begin with. God gives it all to you. What you do with it matters. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Matthew 25:14-30

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.”

God supplies you with what you need and what you need to serve Him. He is perfect in every way and all ways. He gives you the perfect ability to complete His purpose and plans for your life.

“He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.”

Sadly, the last describes a lot of Christians. I got mine. I'm saved. Seriously. If you say you are "a child of God" and yet you do nothing but show up and listen to the pastor and go home, what do you accomplish for God?

“Now, after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.'”

Stop here for a second. Notice how the faithful servant “came forward.” I bet he could not wait. Why? As Yeshua tells us

“But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." John 3:21

Back to Matthew 25, verse 21

“His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours. “

If we were to put it into today's language, “Who am I to share the Bible? I'm not a minister. What do I know?” Read your Bible. “I have no time to do what God is asking me to do.” What are you placing in a more important place in your life than God? Make the time. “I do not have enough money. I can barely pay the bills.” Tithe anyway. Give offerings anyway. Stop making excuses and do what God is asking you to do.

“But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:14-30

Do not be a disobedient servant. James 2:15-17 says this.

"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself."

God loved you so much that He created you in His image and set up a plan for you to be reconciled to Him through the coming, suffering, death, and resurrection of Him in the flesh. He wants you to have a life of abundance, and He wants to be your Father.

However, He cannot, nor will He tolerate a sinful, dishonest, and selfish servant. One who is disobedient to Him and His Word. So why is this tithe thing a thing?

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

We read this in Malachi 3

“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:8-10

Instead of bringing in grains, cows, chickens, milk, honey, fruits, and veggies, today's modern church needs money to

1- Pay Bills. Lights, heat, AC. ETC.

2- To buy grains, cows, chickens, milk, honey, fruits, and veggies, AKA food, and meet the needs of those less fortunate.

3- To meet the needs of the pastor. The pastor should not be part-time. He should not be in need and worrying about where his next meal will come from. He should be spending his time in the Word, in prayer, and in caring for others.

Remember the Word declares, “The laborer deserves his wages.” And, “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” Electricity is not free. Heat is not free. Food is not free. The pastor's needs are not free. Again, not in God's system, but rather in ours.

God promises us that if we do tithe, we will never have to worry about that 90 percent. That it will go farther than that, 100 percent ever will. That if we bless others, by blessing the church, God will bless us in all things. God does not promise that we will hit the lottery tomorrow, but in life itself, we will live abundantly. As children of God, we must do this.

Just to be clear, a tithe is ten percent. An offering is anything more than ten percent. For example, if you make $1000.00 a paycheck, your tithe is $100.00. Not $90.00. Not $20.00. Not $120.00. Your tithe IS $100.00. If you choose to, or God puts it on your heart, to give $120.00, then $100.00 is your tithe, and $20.00 is your offering.

Tithes and offerings ensure that the needs of all of God's children are met: food, clothing, shoes, and shelter. This also includes meeting the needs of the church, the pastor, and the congregation. So, the next time you give, do not give out of obligation. Is it? Yes. Do not give with expectation. Does God lie? No. Will He bless you? Of course. However, God is not a get-rich-quick scheme. When you give, do not do so out of obligation or expectation; rather, give out of love.

Remember, we should not be working solely for ourselves. This is one that many have a hard time with. I worked hard for that money. It's my money. Well?

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Ephesians 4:28

Read that again. "Let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Say "so that." To give. We should be working for the betterment of others. We should be striving to be blessed, so that we may bless others.

It is not about us. God blessed us with a job. We need to tithe the money that God gave us. God gave us life. To life everlasting. Why not tithe the time God gave us? Remember this?

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24

Be a good and faithful servant. You are responsible for yourself. You are responsible for being the child of God that God is calling you to be. Yes. You are responsible for yourself, for others, and you are called to be a good steward in all things God has entrusted to you.

Do you know Yeshua, or Jesus, as your Savior? If you are not a child of God. There is no better time. Today is the day, now is the time. 

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost and the peace of our Lord Yeshua be with you all. May God bless and be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!