Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”.
As Christians, we need to make God the source of our provision by tithing and giving freewill offerings. If we have never trusted Him to provide for us incrementally, God is only an emergency button that we press in dire situations. However, it does not work that way. We need to act on God’s Word because God does not act apart from His Word, and it is always on His and not our terms!
Though there is a promise that God will open the window of heaven to bless us, we need to tithe out of a heart of worship and thanksgiving, and not view it as a get-rich-quick attempt. Our hearts must be in the right place when we tithe, or else bitterness may creep in.
Many people are either afraid of or rebellious about tithing. Because they don’t see God as their source, they’re unwilling to part with their money, thinking “If I tithe, I’m going to be set back by this amount. How then can I meet all my needs?” Their trust is in the uncertain riches. It is a challenge to tithe, but we need to come to a point where we make God our source, and by tithing, we are declaring: “God you are my source of provision and I am honouring you and being obedient to your Word.”
The storehouse is the church, the house of God. Therefore, the tithe goes to the church where you are receiving the Word, pastoral care, and the work of the ministry. God wants His servants to be adequately provided for. In the Old Testament, the Levites were not allocated land and so they relied on the tithe by the rest of the 12 tribes. Similarly, in the New Testament, full-time church workers have given up their income from this world. Those who labour for the Gospel should live from the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).
In the opening passage, God asked the tither to try Him if He would not open for them the windows of heaven. The opening of the windows of heaven is only mentioned twice in Scripture: in the days of Noah when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights until water covered the face of the earth, and when you tithe. That should give us an idea of the abundance that is being poured out upon the tither. God promised to pour out such a blessing that there won’t be enough room to receive it. In other words, we will be in a position of prosperity where not only do we have more than enough for our needs, but also to meet the needs of others. If you are a tither, that’s where you have positioned yourself.
Sermon Series: A Steady Walk of Faith with God
不受限的祝福
玛3:10-11 万军之耶和华说：你们要将当纳的十分之一全然送入仓库，使我家有粮，以此试试我, 是否为你们敞开天上的窗户，倾福与你们，甚至无处可容。万军之耶和华说：我必为你们斥责蝗虫（“蝗虫”原文作“吞噬者”），不容它毁坏你们的土产。你们田间的葡萄树在未熟之先，也不掉果子。
作为基督徒，我们需要藉着什一奉献和自由奉献让神成为我们供应的源头。如果我们从未相信祂会逐渐地供应我们，那么上帝只是我们在危急时所按的紧急按钮。然而，事实并非如此。我们需要按照神的话语行事，因神会按祂的话语行事，并且总是按照祂的方式，而非我们的！
虽然神应许会为我们敞开天上的窗户倾福与我们，然而我们需要怀着敬拜和感恩的心献上十分之一，而不是将其视为快速致富的尝试。当我们纳什一奉献时，我们必须有正确的心态，否则苦毒可能会悄然而至。
许多人对于什一奉献不是害怕就是抗拒。因为他们不把神视为自己的源头，所以他们不愿意割弃自己的钱财，心想“如果我奉献十分之一，我就会因为这笔钱而蒙受损失。我所有的需要如何能被满足呢？”他们倚靠的是无定的钱财。要纳十分之一是很挑战的，但我们需要进到这样的一个境界，就是让神成为我们的源头，通过什一奉献，我们宣告说：“神，你是我供应的源头，我尊荣你并顺服你的话语。 ”
仓库就是教会，是神的家。因此，十分之一是纳给你所领受神的话、被牧养和事奉的教会。神希望祂的仆人得到充足的供应。在旧约中，利未人没有被分配到土地，所以他们需要依靠其他的十二个支派的什一奉献。同样，在新约中，全职教会工作者放弃了他们在世上的收入。那些传福音的靠着福养生（哥林多前书 9:14）。
在开头的段落中，上帝要那些纳十分之一的人试试祂，是否为他们敞开天上的窗户。圣经中只提到过两次敞开天上的窗户：一次是在诺亚的世代，当时大雨降了四十昼夜直到水淹没了全地面；还有一次就是当你纳十分之一的时候。这应该能让我们了解所要倾福与什一奉献者的是何等的丰盛。神应许要倾倒如此大的祝福，以至无处可容。换句话说，我们将处于极为兴盛的境地，不仅满足自己的需要绰绰有余，而且还可以满足他人的需要。如果你是什一奉献者，那就是你对自己的定位。
讲章系列： 坚定信靠神
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