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How Much Do I Give?
Brian Mashburn
June 21, 2015
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Sermon On The Amount
How much of my income do I give to the church family?
There are three main themes that surface consistently throughout the Bible when you search the scripture for guidance on giving to the church.
Tithe. This is a math term meaning a tenth. This standard began before the law with Abram (Gen 14:20), was then made Law (Lev 27:30), and was then affirmed by Jesus when he came (Lk 11:42). This is not meant to be followed legalistically, but relationally. Giving a tenth does not save you, but shape you. It grows your trust in God (Mal 3:10), and allows for God's trust in you. If His church has $100 need, can He trust it to get there by giving you $1,000? Moving toward (and beyond) the tithe shapes you.
First-fruits. This means giving to God first, not after all your perceived needs are met. This idea predates the law with Abel (Gen 4:4), was established in the Law (Ex 23:19), was affirmed by Jesus (Mt 6:33) and then appealed to by Paul (Rom 11:16). Give to God first.
Cheerful willingness. Paul said clearly that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). Even the Law affirms the cheerful giver (Ex 35:4-5; 1 Ch. 29:17), and Jesus never demands the unwilling give ( Mt 19:21-23). While many Christians justify not giving because "they aren't cheerful about it", generations of testimony has proven that the joy and cheerfulness come by giving.
For these reasons and more, I give a dime of every dollar put in my pocket to the church. Even when it's hard, I grit my teeth, remember whose it is, and you know what? He is faithful. Every. Single. Time.
You won't find one person who started tithing who says, "That was the worst financial decision of my life." Why?