Tithes & Offerings ~ Part 1 --- It’s A Heart Thing!

Tithes & Offerings ~ Part 1
It’s A Heart Thing!

I keep feeling like I am to continue spending time on pursuing the Father’s heart and fulfilling what we personally know to be His will for our individual purpose.
I feel we should visit about Tithes & Offerings in relation to pursuing the heart of the Father.

In my experience with pastoring for over 35 years, I believe there is a great deal of misunderstanding with the topic of tithing and giving.
In my thinking, it feels logical that I should first give a foundational teaching about what the Bible says concerning tithes & offerings and provide scriptural proof concerning what God says.
But I feel strongly that instead I need to begin this series looking at my heart in pursuit of Father’s heart and the role that finances can play in that pursuit.

Text: John 12:1-8

Can you believe the heart of a person that would do what Judas did?
He would steal money people put in the offering plate when nobody was looking.

Didn’t Jesus know what Judas was doing? Why didn’t Jesus call him out?
Who put Judas in charge of the money box in the first place? Jesus did.
Why would He do that? Didn’t Jesus know what Judas would do?

Based on the timeline of the book of John, and what Jesus said about Judas in Jn.6, it looks like this had been going on for at least 2 years.
Yet Jesus didn’t call him out.

Here’s what I think. I don’t believe money was Judas’ temptation.
1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

I believe Jesus was using money to help Judas escape what was in his heart.
To help him overcome this temptation – to take on God’s heart.

God’s tests are designed to help me.
To give me an opportunity to break off any old nature that should not be ruling me.
I think God will use finances to test me so I can see what kind of heart I have towards Him.

When God set up the principles of tithes and offerings, He isn’t trying to raise money, He is trying to raise children.

God doesn’t need my money, He wants me to become like Him – a giver.
So in my relationship with Him, He askes that I return to Him 10% - a tithe - of the increase of my income.

When we become a Christian, the bottom line is – I am not my own, I belong to Him. All I have is His, and EVERYTHING – especially money – is His on lone to me to be used for Him.
In His partnership with me, He clearly says that I can steward 90% of everything that comes in, but He wants me to return 10% to Him.

A major point about tithing is you won’t find where God says to give your tithes to God, because you can’t give what is not yours.
The wording in Scripture is “bring your tithes, return the tithes…” It doesn’t belong to me. I am simply returning what is already His.
It’s not mine to give.

2Co 9:7 “…God loves a cheerful giver.” Why?
Think in terms of a parent watching their child.
We love to see our kids imitate our good actions.
When we see our kids do selfless acts, we get excited. Why? Because they are maturing.
When God sees my cheerful giving, He loves to see His character demonstrated in my actions.

Money is a tool God uses to shape my character – but it is not about money.
The attitude I display about tithing and offerings has nothing to do with money, but about my heart towards the Father’s heart.
If there is anything in me that is resistant to the Father, it will show up in how I handle money.

Remember a couple weeks ago I talked about Ro 2:4 “… the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Instead of God calling me out on every one of the areas in my life that is resistant to Him, He shows me His goodness, His mercy, His kindness.
And as a result, I lay down those things that shouldn’t be in my life.

Instead of calling Judas out, Jesus loved on him.
God used finances to let Judas see where his heart was, so Judas out of love for Jesus would “repent” – change the way he thought about God.

So in scripture when God askes me to tithe and give offerings to Him, I believe God is simply using money as a tool to let me see what is in my heart.
It’s not about the money, it’s a heart thing.