Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV) Honour the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Do you struggle to tithe because you think that doing so will leave you with less? Wrong beliefs cause wrong thinking. They stop us from being used by God as a channel of His blessings to the church and the world mission. God promised us through His Word that if we honour Him with our possessions, He will bless us, and in turn, we can tithe more and sow in freewill offerings to the world mission.
God has appointed mortal men to receive His tithes. Just like Levi’s in the Old Testament received tithes, church pastors now receive tithes on God’s behalf. Nonetheless, the tithes are paid unto the Lord, as Scripture says that Jesus receives them in heaven as our High Priest. The difference is that it is no longer a temple, but a church made of living stones and Jesus as the cornerstone.
Like the people of the Old Testament who depended on God’s faithfulness and provision, the church today relies on God’s provision and blessings. In fact, the church today bears a greater responsibility than the priests of the Old Testament because New Testament believers have been commissioned to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. If Jesus has commissioned the church to preach the gospel, He will fund it by using believers as a channel of His blessings to provide the necessary resources to support church operations, outreach, and mission programs, and He finances these efforts through tithing and freewill offerings.
The difference between tithing and freewill offering is that tithing is a payment required by the Lord for the twofold purposes of practical and spiritual, whereas freewill offering is left to our own decisions and based on our conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is giving above the tithe amount. Throughout our lives, we will have opportunities to respond to God’s leading to give freewill offerings. At times, it will be a test of our willingness and obedience to do what He desires so that we are proven to be faithful, dependable, willing channels of His blessings.
Exodus 35:29 (NKJV) The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
After the Israelites left Egypt, their greatest challenge was to get “Egypt” out of their hearts. Similarly, our challenge is to remove the worship of mammon from our hearts. The children of Israel practised bringing freewill offerings to the Lord to build the tabernacle. They came with willing hearts to offer various materials for the work entrusted to Moses, their leader. They could bring anything, as long as it came from a willing heart. Likewise, we are expected to give freewill offerings for the development of the church and the preaching of the gospel outside the church.
Sermon Series: Christian Generosity
成为祂祝福的管道
箴言3:9-10 “你要以财物和一切初熟的土产尊崇耶和华,这样,你的仓库必充满有余,你的酒榨必盈溢新酒。“
你是否因担心奉献会使自己缺乏而挣扎?错误的信念会导致错误的思维,这会阻碍我们成为神祝福教会和世界宣教的管道。神藉着祂的话语应许我们:若以财物尊崇祂,祂必赐福与我们,而我们也能甘心乐意地为支持世界宣教奉献更多。
神命定凡人来接受祂的十一奉献。正如旧约时代利未人取的十分之一,今日的教会牧者也是代表上帝收取十一奉献。尽管如此,这些奉献终究是归给主的——因为圣经上说耶稣在天上作为我们的大祭司收取十一奉献。不同之处在于:如今的圣殿不再是石头建筑,而是以活石建造的教会,并以基督为房角石。
如同旧约百姓仰赖神的信实供应,今日教会同样需要神的看顾。事实上,新约信徒肩负着比旧约祭司更重大的使命——要将福音传到地极。既然基督已将大使命托付教会,祂必藉着信徒作为祝福的管道,供应教会运作、外展与宣教所需。这些事工的经费,正是通过十一奉献与自由奉献来实现。
十一奉献与自由奉献的区别在于:前者是主所命定的当纳之份,具有实际与属灵的双重意义;后者则基于我们自己的决定和对圣灵的确信,是超过十分之一的给予。有时,这将考验我们是否愿意顺从祂的要求,以证明我们是忠实、可靠,心甘情愿地成为祂祝福忠心的管道。
出埃及记 35:29 “以色列众人,无论男女,凡甘心乐意献礼物给耶和华的,都将礼物拿来,作耶和华藉摩西所吩咐的一切工。”
以色列人出埃及后,最大的挑战是如何将”埃及”从心中除去。同样,我们也要除去心中对玛门的崇拜。当年以色列民为建造会幕甘心献礼,他们怀着乐意的心将各样材料带给领袖摩西——只要出于甘心,任何礼物都可献上。今日我们也当为教会发展与福音广传,献上同样的自由奉献。
讲章系列:基督徒的慷慨与奉献
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