Money is the lubricant of the gospel. It is necessary to do what we do here on earth to expand the Kingdom of God and to
build the Church for Jesus Christ. If you have been a pastor for at least a week or two, you have learned the harsh reality that
you need money to fulfill God's vision for your church not to mention just keep the lights on. As you might detect by now,
money is our subject for this study.
Every pastor knows all too well that the monies needed to fund his church’s operations primarily comes from those who sit
in the pews Sunday after Sunday. When the folks out there are generous, things go well. When they withhold what is right,
things get tough. This is Local Church 101 economics. What you must do as a pastor is to insure that your church has all that
it needs to fulfill the vision of God.
Even though I have seen all sorts of methods for receiving tithes and offerings in the local church, the act of giving is one
of the fundamental aspects to our worship of God. Our gifts to God are our sacrifices of worship to the One who is worthy to
be worshipped. The importance of the act of giving as a form of worship cannot be emphasized too strongly. It was central to
the worship of Jehovah in the Old Covenant and it remains very important to our worship of God in the New Covenant. This
brings me to you, Pastor, and the requirement you have to receive the gifts to God from your people.
It is unbelievable to me that there are so many pastors who shun away from this pastoral responsibility of teaching on the
subject of giving tithes and offerings. Some feel that it is wrong to speak of money in any way in a worship service, that it is
some sort of abomination to God. It is not. Others think that the receiving of tithes and offerings should be a low-key, no
mention type of offering box-in-the-back-of-the-sanctuary program. I don't personally recommend this method. Still others
make much to-do about the offering taking in inordinate amount of time on it. This might be an over-kill. It is not my intent to
persuade any pastor of one method or the other, it is however to motivate the men of God to place the proper emphasis on
the tithe through teaching and practice.
One of my spiritual fathers rightly taught us that if we want to see certain things in our churches we must teach along those
lines until the people get it and begin to practice it. I think this is the correct way to move a congregation into a full
understanding of a subject and then remain on that subject until proper conduct follows. The subject of tithing is one that
lends itself to such an approach. I contend that when a true child of God hears the truth and that truth is established within
him he will obey it because of his love for God and his desire to please Him.
What hinders some pastors from teaching on the tithe? Perhaps it is fear. They fear people. What if the folks in the pews
reject this truth and leave the church because they think too much emphasis is being placed on money in the church? My
response is this: let them leave. That is not a cold and callous reaction but rather the result of careful consideration to the
meaning of teaching. You cannot teach just what you perceive the people want to hear or what tickles their fancy. You must
teach the truth – the whole truth - in love. And part of the truth is God’s command to His priests to receive the tithes from His
people. That is not a prerogative you have, Pastor, it is a command directly from the throne of God.
It is key that you instill in your people what the tithe really is. First of all you must steer them away from any thoughts of
legalism; the giving of tithes is not a legal responsibility towards God. One’s righteousness is not in any way tied to one’s
obedience in the giving of tithes. However, you do your people an injustice if you fail to include in your instructions on
tithing that tithing pleases God and pleasing God should be central to their relationship with Him.
Any correct study on the giving of tithes is not complete apart from recognizing that it is an act of worship that produces
direct benefits to the giver of tithes. There are strong and compelling passages of Scripture that develop this doctrine fully
and those must become commonplace in your instructions on this subject. It has been my experience that an ongoing
instruction about tithing is more productive than one or two designated Sunday’s each year being given to the subject. I
began the practice of giving a very brief word of instruction just prior to every offering in every service. Over the course of
a few months, anyone attending our church would hear the entire teaching on the subject of giving and receiving. Much fruit
came from this method. We saw most believers rise into this truth and practice it faithfully. Preachers used to say, “….20% of
your congregation will fund 80% of your church budget…”; praise God that nonsense did not hold true in our church. Correct
teaching made the difference in my church. It will make the difference in yours as well.
Pastor, boldly teach your people the truth about the tithe, and then lovingly receive it on behalf of God. Make it truly an act
of worship in your worship service. Give it the respect that is due especially in light of the fact that you are presenting to
God a sweet-smelling sacrifice that extols His goodness and majesty. Cast away thoughts that the offering time is a fund-
raising function. It is not. This is a sacred act of worship worthy of its place on your Order of Service.
I want to take this word of instruction on the tithe two steps further by first of all admonishing you, Pastor, to be a tither as
well. And, lastly, develop the practice of corporate tithing. Your church needs to tithe. Take that ten percent of all revenues
into your church and open the flow outward to other ministries that are doing the work of the Kingdom.
RECEIVE FROM THEM THE TITHE
|