Tithes & Offerings – 4 ~ God Gives Us Seed & Bread

Tithes & Offerings – 4
God Gives Us Seed & Bread

By Pastor Gary Wayne

In this series, I am emphasizing our heart in pursuit of Father’s heart and the role that finances can play in that pursuit.

Review: Part 1 “It’s A Heart Thing!”
My obedience dealing with money is not about money, but about my heart in pursuit of His heart.
Part 2 “First Things First!” I don’t give God the leftovers, but I give to Him from the first of my increase.
Part 3 “God is the SOURCE of my money. All I have and will have comes from Him.

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Ver.10 God gives us – seed and bread.
Some of what God places in our cair is given, some of it is entrusted.
What is the purpose of the seed?
What is the purpose of the bread? We eat our bread and we sow our seed.

Now here is the challenge – it all looks the same.
If we don’t separate our seed from our bread, what we end up doing is useing up our seed.
Then what happens? No harvest. You can’t have harvest without seed.

If I don’t purpose to separate the seed (that which is entrusted) – from the bread (what is given) I will think it is all about me, here and now.
When I receive my paycheck, if I don’t separate what is entrusted from what has been given, I will think it’s all mine.

God instructs me to take the seed He entrusted to me and sow it – use it for the purpose it was placed in my care for.
God is entrusting the seed to us, but He also give us bread for food.
Is God stingy with His supply of bread for our lives? No! Just the opposite.
God is a God of ABUNDANCE!

After entrusting me with seed, is the reason He wants me to return it to Him because He needs money to run the church? No!
Can you see God ever saying, “I know I gave you that seed, but at the time I didn’t realize some things, so I need it back.”

What are the results of our giving? Ver 10-11

A major principle about sowing & reaping is, “you reap what you sow.”
But you ONLY reap after you sow.

Where does the Bible say we are to bring / give our tithe & offerings?

1Co 16: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
We follow this basic pattern for receiving tithes and offerings today – whether it’s a box in the back, or passing offering plates.

There are three different ways the Bible instructs us in relation to this topic of Tithes & Offerings.

#1 Tithing = One tenth. 10% of our increase – our “first-fruits.”.
Ex 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God…”
Lev 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 to the Lord.”
Mal 3:10-11 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse…”

Sometimes people ask where they should put their tithe.
I believe God instructed us to bring our tithe to where you are being feed – “to the storehouse…”

I don’t send it to a ministry I am really impressed with. That would then be an offering, no longer tithe.
I don’t put my tithe in the missionary offering on missionary Sundays.
Tithing supports the minister and ministry of the local congregation.
They way I see it laid out in scripture - you never find an example where people designated where their tithe should go. Some of it here, some there for that program, a part over there.
The moment I control it; it is no longer a tithe.
God clearly says to bring it to the storehouse and leave it there.

Three basic instructions in bringing my tithe:
Bring 10% of the firstfruits
Bring it to the storehouse
Don’t designate where it goes. If I split it up and I instruct where it is to go, it becomes an offering, not a tithe.

Offerings are a totally different matter.
#2 Offerings = Something you give from your heart above the 10% of the tithe.
If I only bring my tithe, I haven’t given an offering yet.
Offerings are usually designated by you as to where you feel you should give.
Missions, Children’s Ministries, building maintenance, special offerings for guest speakers, etc.

#3 Alms = Benevolence or giving to the poor.