We are More Returners than Givers

1. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about money.
Don’t apologize for preaching on giving. You don’t apologize when you preach on prayer or grace or marriage. The only reason we preach on any of this is to help people.
Preach it with confidence!
Luke 16: 9-15
Jesus mentions “mammon” three times here.
If we don’t teach about money, who will?
Mammon is the spirit that rests on money. It promises what only God can give: security, peace, joy. All money has a spirit on it; either mammon or the spirit of God. The way we get the spirit of God is to redeem it by giving the first 10% to God.
It’s either cursed or consecrated. We need to teach our people there are consequences for disobedience to God.

2. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about tithing.
I’m amazed when people say they’re not sure this is biblical. If I get mad at you, I can shoot you. I’m a Christian, and “thou shalt not kill” was under the law, so I don’t have to follow it.
NO!
The righteousness of grace always exceeds the righteousness of the law. Law says don’t kill, grace says don’t even be angry.
And tithing was around 2500 years before the law. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden (you can have all the trees except that one).
It’s about your heart. God wants your heart! Exodus 23:19, Proverbs 3:9-10, Exodus 13:1-13
Jesus was both firstborn and first fruits. He is the clean animal for our uncleanness, sent to redeem us. Jesus is God’s tithe. He gave Jesus in faith that we would believe. Tithing is all about giving in faith.
Galatians 4:3-5: Cain didn’t bring first fruits.
God is not legalistic and neither am I. It’s about your heart.

3. Don’t apologize for preaching God’s Word about giving.
Tithing is not giving, it’s returning. We are more “Returners” than “Givers” You can’t give a tithe because it doesn’t belong to you. (By the way it goes to the church where you’re being fed. And you can’t designate it, because it’s not yours.)
Tithing is returning to God what’s already his–it’s the training wheels of giving.
Matthew 7: the main topic is judging, not money “for with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:37-38: the main topic is judging; the word money isn’t here, either. But when people preach on this it’s on money. Can it apply to money? Secondarily, and Primarily it’s about the attitude of your heart.
The body Christ has a problem is not because we don’t know Greek, it’s that we don’t know English!
If you judge, you’ll get judgment back….pressed down and running over.
Luke 6:38 is not the motive for giving: we don’t give so we’ll get. It’s the reward for giving with the right heart.
Jesus is the noun of the Bible. Giving is the verb.
John 3:16…….you’re here today because Jesus gave his life for you. You’re here today because you gave your life to Jesus.
Exodus 13: giving your firstborn. When your son questions this, you remind him we weren’t always ranchers; we used to be slaves. But God delivered us, so we gladly return to God the first of everything.