Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV) Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase. So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
As New Testament believers who have witnessed the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and are living in the period of grace, we should do our best to honour God and follow what Scripture teaches. When we choose to honour God with our possessions and all the increase in our profits, we will experience no lack but live in abundance.
Malachi 3:8-10 (NKJV) “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 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 out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Disobedience in tithing often stems from a fear of lack, and the above Scripture reveals it is robbing God of the tithe. Tithing gives God His tenth. It says, “God, I recognise that you are my source of supply, and You will increase what I have.” It acknowledges God as our source. We pay tithes because they belong to God. Tithes differ from freewill offerings, where God has given us the freedom to decide how much and whom to give from the 90% that remains after tithing.
There is a temptation to divide our tithes and administer them ourselves so that they go where we want them to, but the storehouse in the above Scripture refers to the church—where you receive the Word, pastoral care, and the work of the ministry. God cares for His servants—the full-time workers in the church, and He wants them to be adequately provided for. The church will administer the funds, and leaders are entrusted with the responsibility of budgeting and disbursing the funds accordingly. When we give, we give unto the Lord in obedience to the Word. Therefore, we should not interfere with the leaders’ decisions because they are accountable to God. However, we can raise any concerns that we have at congregational meetings.
On the other hand, freewill offerings are prompted and led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not give us any specific prescriptions. Therefore, we must carefully check our hearts and attitudes against pride, disobedience to the Word, and rebellion.
Do you believe the Word that He will open the window of heaven to bless you? The Bible only mentions the opening of the windows of heaven twice: in the days of Noah when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and water covered the face of the earth (Genesis 8:2), and upon the tither. Therefore, as you consistently seek to honour God with your possessions, you will be in a position of abundance, to the point of overflowing, having more than enough for your own needs and those of others.
Sermon Series: Christian Generosity
以你的财物尊荣主
箴言3: 9-10 你要以财物和一切初熟的土产尊荣耶和华， 这样，你的仓房必充满有余，你的酒榨有新酒盈溢。
作为亲身经历了耶稣基督的救赎之工，并活在恩典时代的新约信徒，我们理应尽心竭力尊荣神，遵循圣经的教导。若我们选择用自己的财物和一切所得的增益来尊荣神，我们将不至缺乏，而是过得丰盛有余。
玛拉基书3:8-10 “人岂可夺取神之物呢？你们竟夺取我的供物。你们却说：‘我们在何事上夺取你的供物呢？’就是你们在当纳的十分之一和当献的供物上。因你们通国的人都夺取我的供物，咒诅就临到你们身上。” 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于你们，甚至无处可容。”
不愿十一奉献，通常是源于对匮乏的恐惧，而上面的经文揭示了这是在夺取神的十一。十一奉献是将当献的十分之一归给神。它意味着：“神啊，我承认祢是我一切供应的源头，祢必使我增长。” 这就是承认神是我们的源头。我们“缴纳”十一奉献，因为它属于神，这不同于甘心乐意的奉献，后者是神允许我们以十一奉献后余下的90%之中，自由决定奉献多少和奉献给谁。
有一种诱惑，使我们想要将十一奉献自主分配和管理，以确保它们流向我们所希望的地方，而在上述经文中，仓库指的是教会 – 你在那里领受神的话语、教牧关怀，以及事工工作。神关心祂的仆人 — 那些教会中的全职同工，祂希望他们能得到妥善的供养。教会将会管理这些资金，教会领袖受托负责制定预算，并且将资金作相应的分配。当我们奉献时，我们是出于对神话语的顺服而献上给主。因此，我们不应该干涉领袖的决定，因为他们要向上帝交账。但是，若有任何疑虑，我们也可以在会众大会上提出。
另一方面，自由意志的奉献是由圣灵感动和引导的。圣经没有给我们任何具体的教导。因此，我们需要谨慎省察自己的内心和态度，谨防骄傲、不顺服圣经的教导，以及悖逆。
你相信经上说祂会打开天上的窗户来倾福于你吗？圣经只提到了两次打开天上的窗户：在挪亚的日子，当时下了四十昼夜的雨，水淹没了地面（创世记 7:11~12），以及论及十一奉献时。因此，当你不断寻求以你的财物来尊荣神时，你将丰丰足足乃至满溢，足以满足无论是你自己还是他人的需要并且有余。
讲章系列：基督徒的慷慨与奉献
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