What Should Christians Give?

In this series of teaching on stewardship, John Cole revised and taught from a published course made available without copyright by local church pastors shared for churches like ours. Read the handout notes here...

Luke 16:1

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS GIVE?

Giving Shows How Great God Is.

Hebrews 11:26; Matthew 13:45-46

God Generously Gives to Us

2 Corinthians 8:9 

It is not God’s purpose for us to be made poor, but rather, to recognize that we are without Him.

Giving Promotes Godliness.

Giving helps us keep our priorities straight. 

Matthew 6:21; Matthew 6:24

Giving reminds us that God owns all we have. 

Malachi 3:8-10

Giving helps encourage others to give thanks and praise to God. 

2 Corinthians 9:12

Giving Brings Blessing.

Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 9:7

WHAT SHOULD CHRISTIANS GIVE?

Everything.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

God gives you money for you to steward for His glory—some through giving to your church but not all of it. 

1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Your job as a Christian is to assess every opportunity you have in life—many of which can benefit from your money—and spend every bit of it for God’s glory in this life.

Tithes & Offerings.

Old Testament Giving

1) One-tenth of all produce and flocks for the Levites .

Leviticus 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.

Numbers 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

2) One-tenth of one’s produce and flocks to be eaten and enjoyed in an annual feast before the LORD.

Deuteronomy 12:17–18 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: 18 But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

Deuteronomy 14:22–23 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.

1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

3) One-tenth every third year for the local storehouse to feed the Levites and the poor .

4) Also the temple tax, voluntary offerings, field gleanings, and taxes of kings.

Exodus 30:13–15 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. 14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

Deuteronomy 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Leviticus 19:9–10 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.

2 Kings 23:35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh.

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Genesis 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

New Testament Giving

Understanding our responsibility and opportunity to give according to the grace giving of the NT will produce more joyfully generous givers than will the OT law.

Sacrificial Giving

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 12:41–44 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

2 Corinthians 8:2–3 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

The first error says if your budget isn’t painfully tight, you’re not following Jesus. 

The second error is the one that says living for comfort and Christianity can co-exist. 

4. Generous Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

“Give so that the money you’re spending on your own needs brings God equal or greater glory than it would if you were to give it away .” 

CONCLUSION

1 Timothy 6:17–19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.