Malachi 3:6-10
Many of us are very familiar with Malachi’s words about giving: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10). The call here—echoed through much of Scripture—is to give a tithe, a tenth, ten percent of our income, resources to God. Jesus echoes the same in Luke 6:38, and Paul calls for to give cheerfully in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.
So, if Scripture is so clear on the issue—give a tithe to
God, be generous towards God—why are we so reluctant to give? E. Peterson
suggests, “Most people’s lack of generosity is due not to money problems but to
greed problems…value problems” (from On Living Well). Could it be that
the ancient, thoroughly human sin of greed holds us back from generosity? Are
we afraid to give…afraid that we’ll run out of money if we give to God? Anne
Frank, the voice of a child really, reminds us, “No one has ever become poor by
giving.” So, why do we not give generously?
Perhaps it is because we do not really know or understand
why we give. Yes, God has called us to be generous. Yes, we want to obey. But,
we want to know, why? It is a fair question.
First of all, let’s answer this: Does God need our money?
Does God really need your money or my money? Does God wait anxiously, hands
wringing, every Sunday around 11am to see if enough will come in to make things
happen in this world that He has created? The answer: God does not need your
money nor mine. God is the Creator of the universe. God lacks nothing. Now, if
that is the case—and I believe with all my mind and heart this is the case—then
why does God ask us to give?
When we look back at what we’ve covered thus far in this
series of sermons, we find that we’re called to prayer. Prayer changes
everything…and it changes you and me. We are called to and invited to be a
people of presence—present in worship, Bible studies, or small groups. Being
present changes us…shapes us, molds us. And guess what—giving, being generous,
changes us, shapes our attitudes, realigns our values. God calls us to give
because we giving changes us.
When we reject lives of generosity, of giving, we struggle
against the fabric and flow of the universe, for our God is a giving God. God
has given us life, has given us everything. In fact, “God so loved the world
that he gave….” He gave. And, as long as we reject giving and generosity, we
struggle again the stream of this reality, against the flow of God’s creation.
If you have not been a giver by habit, your first step is to
develop a habit of giving. If you have already developed the habit of giving,
then it is time to move towards giving a tithe—make it a one-year or two-year
goal. If you are already tithing, look for ways to go above-and-beyond. God
invites us to be a people of generosity, of giving. When we embrace this holy
habit, we align ourselves with God’s reality…and we open ourselves to being
changed, transformed more and more into the best versions of ourselves. Decide
today to embrace and embody the holy habits that make for a ‘church strong.’
Sunday, October 6,
2024
“A Church Strong: Presence”
Watch/Listen: HERE