C241 11/13/60
© Project Winsome International, 2000

WHAT DID GOD REALLY SAY?
Dr. John Allan Lavender
Ps.119:11

Preparations
It is important that plenty of lead time be given to preparing for this teaching. Please feel free to contact www.winsome.org for suggestions.

Oddly enough, although each of you has been given a New Testament, my text is taken from the Old Testament, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
In this beloved and familiar verse King David tells us three things:
He took the right object -- God's word.
He put it in the right place -- his heart.
He did so for the right purpose -- that he might not sin against God.

Our service today is cut according to the same pattern. Each of you has been given a hand-marked copy of the New Testament. It is yours to keep and, we trust, to cherish for many years to come. In a moment we will go through it for the first time. When you return home I hope you will continue to re-read the passages marked until you feel certain their message has been hidden in your heart. There are two reasons for this --

First, Baptists hold the Bible to be our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. When we are in doubt as to what our behavior should be in a given instance, we turn to God's word. There we search out his revealed will and pledge ourselves to act accordingly.

Secondly, we are doing this because I am convinced the reason many Christians sin against God in their misuse of money is that they have never really heard what God has to say about this subject of supreme importance.

As you will discover, my comments are rather sparse this morning. We are primarily concerned with what God has to say. And, what he has to say in the New Testament about tithing. Many Christians have the mistaken point of view that tithing is an Old Testament concept, and is not taught in the New Testament at all. This is not so. The New Testament clearly teaches tithing as the basis, or beginning, of Christian stewardship. The first rung on the ladder. The first step a growing Christian takes as he moves forward into genuine maturity.

But don't take my word for it. Look at your New Testament and see what God really says. On the flyleaf you will find the words Turn to page 132. Please do so, and there you will find several verses marked in red. Follow along as I read John 1:1-3.
"In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God, all things were made
by him; and without him not any thing was made that was made."

Here we have the New Testament counterpart of such familiar Old Testament passages as:
Psalm 24:1 -- "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof . . . "
Or Haggai 2:8 -- "The silver and the gold is mine, saith the Lord."
Under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit John points out that "all things were made by him", and that "without him was not anything made that was made."

John is reminding us that we are not owners, but users. Or, as our choir sings each Sunday,
"We give thee but thine own, whate're the gift may be,
All that we have is thine alone, a trust Oh God from Thee."

Tithing is our recognition of God's ownership of that which he has lent us for our use. When we tithe we enter into a joyful working relationship with this Giver of "every good and perfect gift."

But because we are users and not owners we are held responsible to him for the use we make of the "everything" he has entrusted to us. Turn to page 243, I Cor. 3:11-15.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall
declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's
work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Now frankly, these are solemn words. Paul is saying every Christian shall have his works, that is, his faithfulness as a steward, tested by the fire of God's judgment. He points out that as a result, some shall be saved "by the skin of their teeth." They will get into heaven as Lot got out of Sodom. Burned out. Empty-handed. Left with no trophy of love or thanksgiving to lay at the feet of their precious Lord. This is the curse of disobedience. This is what happens when we sin against God in the misuse of our money. It robs us of the joy of having an adequate expression of gratitude to present to our Savior and King.

A little boy, six-years old, was going up to the top of the Empire State Building. As the elevator shot by the 75th floor the boy turned to his father and asked,
"Does God know we're coming?"
It seems to me that regular faithful tithing is one of the best ways to let God know we're coming! That we are being faithful in our stewardship. That we are worthy of the trust he has put in us.

Across the page, in I Cor. 4:2 we read:
". . . it is required in a steward that he be found faithful."
Hook that verse up with this one back on page 243 and the lesson is unmistakably clear: The day will come when you and I must account to God for the use we make of the "everything" he has lent to us.

It seems to me, as I read the New Testament, that God wants to teach us two things about being a Christian and using money.
The first has to do with the reason for which money is gained.
The second relates to the use to which money is put.
Turn to page 10 and see what God has to say about the reason for which money is gained, Luke 12:15-21.
"And he said unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness. For a man's
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he
spake a parable unto them saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have
no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do: I will pull down
my barns, and build greater: and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul. Soul, thou hast much good laid up for many years;
take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be,
which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and
is not rich toward God."
We hear a great deal these days about our standard of living. We are continually reminded of the fact that the car we drive, the clothes we wear, and the house in which we live are all important. And they are, up to a point!

We need to be concerned with our family's welfare, but only secondarily. First and foremost should be a concern about their eternal standard of living. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus is quoted as saying that when we put first things first, when we seek the Kingdom of God first, when we take care of our eternal standard of living first, "all these things" -- food, clothing, shelter -- which comprise our temporal standard of living, will take care of themselves.

As Christians we must be forever on guard against the temptation to accept the world's concept of success as our own. For, if and when we make that mistake, we forfeit those great and abiding values which cannot be bought with silver and gold.

Look at page 307 for a moment, I Tim. 6:6-11.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this
world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment,
let us be there with content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and
a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some
coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows. But thou, o man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."

Paul is reminding Timothy, a young Christian, that he simply cannot let the mere making of more money become his aim in life. Money, and the things which money buys, cannot produce a satisfactory standard of living for the child of God. Far more important than the money a man makes, is the inner satisfaction that comes from knowing his time and talent are being spent for something worthwhile, something which really lasts.

Take the case of our own Chet and Lucille Huyssen, and I have their permission to share this with you. Mr. Huyssen not only tithes his income, but Lucille has given her entire income to world missions this year. This family has found the true significance of work. It is not an end in itself, but a means to the end of serving God.

I know some wives work just to help pay the bills. The family is so large, and the cost of living so high, it is absolutely necessary for them to work. To these loyal gals we give a hearty pat on the back. Other women work to keep busy and avoid boredom. But, for the most part, working women do so, not to get what they need, but to get what they want. And what joy could be theirs if, like Mrs. Huyssen, they worked to give most, or all, of their income to the work of the Lord. If they labored not for a sofa, but for souls. Not for a better bedroom set, but for a better understanding of the love of God by those who have never heard the glad news that Jesus saves!

And what joy, contentment and satisfaction the man of the house could experience if he invested at least a tenth of his income into something Really Big. The Lord's business of redemption. Providing merciful help to those in need. Building hospitals, schools, churches around the world. Winning teen-agers and children to Christ here at home. Believe me it would add new meaning to the otherwise routine duty of maintaining a standard of living. That man would know that at least one tenth of his time and talent was set apart for God, and for the work of God wherever it is carried on around the earth.

That's what Paul is suggesting in I Cor. 10:31, when he says, but turn to page 251 and read it for yourself,
"Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the
glory of God."
The famed apostle is saying life can be meaningful. Work can be worship. It need not be drudge, if we do it to and for the glory of Almighty God.

This then is what God has to say about the reason for which our money is gained --
1. Beware of covetousness.
2. Find satisfaction in the simple things of life.
3. Don't confuse your wants with your needs.
4. Make work an act of worship by doing "all to the glory of God."

What then does he say about the use to which our money is put? Turn to page 37, Matt. 23:23.
"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint,
and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not left the other
(the practice of tithing) undone."

There are many verses in the Old Testament which clearly teach tithing, such as,
Lev. 27:32 -- "The tenth shall be holy unto the Lord."
Malachi 3:10 -- "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse."
There are many others.

But Matthew 23:23 makes it clear that tithing is not strictly a teaching of the Old Testament. Jesus specifically states here that tithing should be carried on, while we also give ourselves to such things as "mercy and faith."

In another place (Mt. 5:17) Jesus goes out of his way to make it clear he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Tithing is commanded in the Old Testament. It is commended in the New. In the Old Testament it is maximal. In the New Testament it is minimal.

There is an ancient parable about a man who went into a marketplace with a string of ten coins. Seeing a beggar who was asking alms, he gave the poor man nine of the coins, keeping one for himself. Instead of being thankful, the beggar followed the good man and stole the tenth coin, too. You say, "What an ungrateful wretch!" True! But is there really any difference between that and our behavior? Are we not being just as ungrateful when God says,
"You keep 90% of your earnings and give me ten."
And we turn around and say,
"No Lord, I'll keep your tenth as well."

You answer,
"But Christians are not under the law. We are under grace."
Correct! But will we do less under grace than the Old Testament people did under law? Paul answers that question for us in Rom. 6:15. Turn to page 227.
"What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid."

Having experienced the love of God in Christ Jesus we should not sin by doing less, we should be eager to do more. The love of God motivates us to greater sacrifice than the law of God ever could. That's why, as I said a moment ago, tithing in the Old Testament is maximal, while in the New Testament it is minimal. Doesn't that seem only right and fair to you? Turn to page 108, Luke 12:48.
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required, and
to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask more."

I think this might very well become the official text of Morgan Park Baptist Church. We have indeed been given much. But having freely received, we must also freely give!

The poet put it this way:
"Ah, when I look up at the cross
Where God's great steward suffered loss
Of life, and blood for me,
A trifling thing it seems to be
To pay a tithe, dear Lord, to thee
Of time or talent, wealth or store,
Full well, I know I owe thee more!

But that is just the reason why
I lift my heart to God on high,
And pledge thee by this portion small
My life, my love, my all in all.

This holy token at thy cross
I know as gold, must seem as dross,
But in my heart, Lord, thou dost see
How it has pledged my all to thee,
That I, a steward, true may be." (Unknown).

What then, is to be the manner of our giving. Turn to the New Testament and see what God says. You'll find it on page 93, Luke 6:38.
"Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye meter withal, it shall be measured to you again."

Here we see that first of all we must give liberally.
Years ago I heard a man say,
"Unless I tithe, I find that I am not really giving enough compared with the
way I use the rest of my money."
He likened it to a man going into town and buying himself a $125 suit and a $20 pair of shoes, and then stopping to buy his wife a calico dress costing $5.98, singing all the way home, "I love my Nancy Jane." The singing has a hollow ring, doesn't it! And we must not merely sing the words,
"Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small,"
we must back up what we say, with what we do! We are to give liberally to our Lord.

Furthermore, we must give sacrificially.
Turn to page 266. Here we have a perfect example of how a translation in modern English brings the good old King James to life. Read II Cor. 8:1-4 in your testament, and then compare it with the J.B. Phillips translation which follows.
"Now, my brothers, we must tell you about the grace that God has given to
the Macedonian churches. Somehow, in most difficult circumstances, their
joy and the fact of being down to their last penny themselves, produced a
magnificent concern for other people, I can guarantee that they were willing
to give to the limit of their means, yes and beyond their means, without the
slightest urging from me or anyone else. In fact, they simply begged us to
accept their gifts and so let them share the honor of supporting their brothers
in Christ."

The passage speaks for itself, doesn't it!

The great temple in Kyoto is to the Japanese what Westminister Abbey is to the British. It cost $10 million to build and took 17 years. One of the interesting things about it is a coil of rope which is kept in the courtyard, just inside the main entrance. It is made of human hair. It seems that when the men and boys were giving of their time and talent to build the building, the women and girls wanted to help too. They discovered that the men needed a rope to lift heavy objects into place. So thousands upon thousands of Japanese women and girls cut off their hair and braided it into a rope 300 feet long and 3 inches thick. They solved their problem by sacrificial love. So must we!

Next, we must give cheerfully.
Over on page 94, you will find II Cor. 9:7--
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

There are three kinds of giving: Grudge giving. Duty giving. And thanks giving.
Grudge giving says, "I have to."
Duty giving says, "I ought to."
Thanks giving says, "I want to."
It is the latter which God commends to us in his word.

Someone has said,
"Give not from the top of your pulse, but from the bottom of your heart."
One little girl got this idea when she received a Christmas gift of ten bright, new pennies.
"This one is for Jesus;" she said. "This one is for you, mommy. This one is for
daddy."
She continued on until she came to the last coin.
"This one is for Jesus, too," she said.
"But darling," said her mother, "you have already given one to Jesus."
"Yes," she said, "but that one belonged to him. This one is a present."
Indeed, "God loves a cheerful giver."

And then, if you will turn to page 259, you will see we must give regularly. I Cor. 16:2 --
"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store,
as God hath prospered him."

I think one reason some people get behind in their giving is that they have not learned the secret of what the Bible calls "first fruits" giving. They give to the Lord what is left over, after all other interests have been satisfied. But, as this text indicates, God wants the first and the best, not the last and the least.
"Upon the first day of the week let every man lay by in store as God hath
prospered him."
The first fruits! That is the key to happy and successful Christian giving.

The results of such eager and generous giving are recorded for us in II Cor. 9:6. Turn to page 267, the blue marking,
"But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which
soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully."

These, then, are the New testament teachings regarding gaining and using --.
1. Beware of Covetousness.
2. Make work worship.
3. Settle for simple things.
4. Be motivated by needs, not wants.

And regarding giving the New Testament teaches --
1. Do not do less under love than under law.
2. Tithing is the first ten percent. Giving begins at eleven percent.
3. Because much has given much, much is required.
4. Give liberally, sacrificially, cheerfully and regularly.

When a farmer sets out to sow his field he does not ask,
"How little can I get by with?"
Instead he asks,
"How much will I need?"
He knows his harvest will be directly related to the manner in which he has sowed. The same is true of a Christian. Sow, sparingly, reap sparingly. Sow bountifully, reap bountifully. And tell me, is it not true, as someone has said,
"He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, to gain that
which he cannot lose."

I think the logic is clear. But people will never be convinced of the wisdom of tithing by logic. It is not something that begins in the head. It has its roots in the heart. That's why Paul said of the Macedonian Christians in II Cor. 8:5,
"They first gave themselves to the Lord."

God is not interested in yours, he is interested in you. He is not after money, he is after men. The Holy Spirit reveals this through Paul in Romans 12:1. Turn to page 235 and read it for yourself.:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service."

Why your body, and not your mind or soul? Because your body touches the totality of your activity. It is that which occupies so much of your time and attention. Get it right with God, get what it can produce committed to him, and most of your other problems will be solved.

Tithing, you see, is not so much a way of giving, as it is a way of living! It is not something that happens in your wallet. It is something that happens in your heart.

Which suggests our final verse. Turn to page 158. To me it is the simplest, but finest word of all, Jn.14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Do you really love Christ? Then remember, he who really cares, really shares. Are you a tither?