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WHY SHOULD WE GIVE?

By Ken Trivette

Malachi 3:8-10, 1 Corinthians 16:1

1. During an examination, a rookie police officer was asked what strategy he would use to disperse a threatening crowd. His answer: "I would take up a collection."

2. I know that many would rather hear a sermon on any subject but money and giving. That is because a lot of people willing to give God credit, but more are reluctant to give Him cash.

3. I think of a story that Flip Wilson told. A preacher was trying to get his people to be more enthusiastic about their church. The preacher said in his sermon: "If this church is going to get anywhere, it has to learn to crawl." The people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl!" Then he said, "And after it learns to crawl, it has to learn to walk." And the people said, "Let it walk, Rev., let it walk!" The preacher got excited and said, "After this church learns to walk, it has to learn to run!" The people shouted back, "Let it run, Rev., let it run!" Then he said, "And if this church is going to run, it's going to take money!" And the people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl."

4. Sadly, that is the attitude of many when it comes to their money and giving to the Lord.

5. We want to consider "Why We Should Give." Why is it that you should give a minimum of 10% of your hard earned money? Let's look into God's Word and consider 4 reasons why we should give what God has asked us to give.

1. GIVING IS A REQUIRED MATTER!

1. We read in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse." Also we read in I Corinthians 16:1, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye."

2. The first reason we ought to give is that it is right to give and wrong not to give. Giving is something that has been commanded by God and ordered for the Churches.

3. When one gives as God has directed they are simply being an obedient Christian. When one fails to give as God directed they are being a disobedient Christian.

4. God told Israel in Deuteronomy 12:6, "And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks."

5. There was an amount, there was a time, and there was a place in which the children of Israel were commanded to bring their tithe and offerings. The same is true of us. There is an amount, a time, and a place that we are bring our tithe and offering. Again tithing is an act of obedience.

6. Malachi makes it very clear that God is serious about obeying this matter. In verse 8 God asked the question, "Will a man rob God?" God views our like of tithing as spiritual robbery.

7. U.S. News and World Report stated that the age group of 65-74 gave the highest percentage of their income. But that amount was only 5.5%. Ages 18-24 only gave 1.2%. The IRS reports that the average annual deduction for charity is 1.7%.

8. In each case an amount was given but it was not what God required. There are many in churches who give, but do not tithe. Now you can give, but if you do not give what God requires you are committing spiritual robbery.

9. Notice Leviticus 27:30, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord."

10. Notice that God said that the tithe was "holy unto the Lord." It is holy because it belongs to Him. At least a tenth of our income belongs to God. It is not ours. When you do not give a tithe you are keeping what does not belong to you.

11. I heard about a black pastor that was receiving an offering. He said, "All money is tainted. It 'taint' yours. It 'taint' mine. It's God's."

12. Notice in Malachi 3:8 that God mentions the "tithes and offerings." The tithe was what belonged to God and the offerings was what was given over and beyond the tithe. The tithe was what was commanded and the offering was reflective of one's gratefulness.

13. Why should we tithe? It is required.

2. GIVING IS A RECIPROCATED MATTER!

1. God not only commanded the tithe but promised that tithing was result in His blessings. We read in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

2. Now we do not give in order to receive. We give because it is what God commanded. But God makes it clear that giving will be reciprocated. He will bless those that give.

3. Notice II Corinthians 9:6, "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

4. I heard about a church in Oklahoma that made a pledge to their members that if they tithed for a year and God did not bless them for tithing, they would refund what they had given for the year.

5. I make you the same pledge. If you tithe for a year and God does not bless you for giving, the church in Oklahoma will refund your money.

6. As a young man, Robert Laidlaw made a covenant with God that he would give a tenth of all his earnings. Later, at the age of 25, he decided to change that amount to 50% of all his earnings. God blessed and multiplied his resources until he was giving even more to the work of the Lord. Writing at the age of 70, he said: "I want to bear testimony that, in spiritual communion and in material things, God has blessed me one hundredfold, and has graciously entrusted me a stewardship far beyond my expectations when, as a lad of 18, I gave God a definite portion of my wages." (From "The Grace of Giving" by Stephen Oldford)

7. God will bless those who give to Him what He desires and what He deserves.

   1. Giving Is A Required Matter!
   2. Giving Is A Reciprocated Matter!

3. GIVING IS RESOURCEFUL MATTER!

1. Notice again Malachi 3:10 why God told them to tithe. We read, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house."Another purpose for tithing was that there would be meat in God's house.

2. The ideal of meat is that it is through the tithes and offerings that the priests were sustained and the work of the Temple was maintained.

3. Also notice Numbers 18:20-24.

4. God used to tithe to provide for those who were full time in his work as well as providing the finances for His work.

5. The tithes and offerings of God's people are the resources to provide for His Church.

   1. Giving Is A Required Matter!
   2. Giving Is A Reciprocated Matter!
   3. Giving Is A Resourceful Matter!

4. GIVING IS A REVEALING MATTER!

1. Notice I Corinthians 16:1, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye."

2. Notice the word "collection." It is a word that indicates something is said or revealed. In other words, our giving says something about us.

3. It says something about our attitude to God's Word.

4. It says something about how serious we take the commands of God.

5. It says something about how grateful we are for what God has given.