Every Church Self-Sufficient

Text:

‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse’ – Malachi 3:10

Thought:

Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament dates from around 450 BC and is the final prophetic word to the Children of Israel before the coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ. Significant subjects are tackled in its four short chapters – Love, Honour, Divorce, Healing and Money!

Our text reveals seven words that can radically change every church and Christian, if they only had enough faith to preach and practise it. Most ministers do not like preaching about money. Most congregations do not like the minister preaching about money either! Yet obedience to these seven words could enable every church to be self-sufficient for its present spending needs and future expansion. So let’s unpack what the text really means.

• Bring

Who is responsible for churches in Britain closing week after week, year after year – nobody?       Or No Bodies! It’s so interesting during our door to door evangelism to hear the many lame excuses people give for not attending church – too busy with work, children, sports, elderly parents and so on. Yet these same people give time to shopping, recreation, appointments, leisure, holidays and doing what they want! Most churches have a weekday programme enabling people to attend if Sunday is inconvenient.

Don’t send your giving, bring it in person. Make it part of your worship. It can be a wonderfully moving experience when it’s time in the service to honour God with our giving.

• All the Tithes

For those who are unsure as to what a tithe is, it is 10%. God expects Christians to give a minimum of 10% of their income. To determine your income is very easy. It’s what comes in; for example wages, benefits, pensions and investment income. I have always encouraged children to tithe their pocket money, thus learning from an early age to give out of what comes to them. God says the tithe is His, that’s why it says we rob God when we withhold our tithes and offerings. ¹ It’s not for me to tell God how much He should have, but to conform to what the Bible says. I wonder how much of the tithes will be withheld for Christmas presents, New Year holidays and the January sales, rather than given to God. How can anyone really believe that God wants to bless them and answer their prayers, when they know in their hearts they are robbing Him and their local church by withholding their tithes?

The vast majority of Christians who understand and practise the principle of tithing, learnt how to give at least a tenth of their income when money was in short supply and it was a hard thing to give. That’s why they are able to continue tithing now that they are in prosperity.

• Into the Storehouse

God intends the tithe to be brought into the church you are attending, so that it will have the financial resources to survive. Ministers are now forced to look after multiple churches simply because money is not being given. With everyone tithing, a church as few as 20 people can be self-sufficient and have its’ own minister.

Some Christians decide to spread their tithe around, giving to different churches, charities and missionary programmes. All the tithe belongs to the local church they attend. Giving outside of their church should always be on top of their tithing and God loves to bless people who give like that. ²

Some Christians wrongly decide to stop giving to their local church because they do not agree with how the money is being spent. That’s the responsibility of the church oversight and if someone is unhappy with the decisions they are making, they should either voice their concerns with those responsible (i.e. talk to them not about them to others) or find another church into which they can bring all their tithes.

It’s wonderful that the Government recognises the significant contribution that charities (churches included) make to society and developed the Gift Aid Scheme so that tax paid on giving can be reclaimed to benefit the charity still further. It’s important that every church and Christian makes the most of Gift Aid while it’s still available. After all, being able to reclaim 25% of the money given by tax payers can greatly help any church’s budget.

• Prove Me now

This is the only place in the Bible where we are encouraged to prove God or put God to the test. ³ Let God prove His word is true for you. You do the tithing and God will do the blessing. Read the rest of Chapter 3 to see how God will respond to the tither.

Remember God loves a cheerful giver, whose heart is in their giving. ⁴

My prayer is that through faithful tithing, churches and Christians alike will have a prosperous 2016.

 

1 – Malachi 3:8                       2 – Corinthians 9:8-10                         Malachi 3:10

4 – 2 Corinthians 9:7