Creative Giving: Tithing and Biblical Stewardship

CREATIVE GIVING:
TITHING AND
BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP
FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES THAT SET YOU FREE
Lecture Notes from In-depth Bible Study

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the
waters; and you who have no
money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine
and milk without money and without cost.
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call
on Him while He is near. Let him turn to the
Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and
to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

If you are like most people, you spend about 50% of
your time thinking about money. Of course, that
includes all of the time devoted to:
a) Earning it;
b) Saving it;
c) Spending it; and
d) Worrying about not having enough of
it (because you are much better at
“C” than either “a” or “b.”

In our society, it is easy to get caught up in
acquiring more money, bigger houses and
better toys. Somewhere along the line our
culture shifted its philosophy from “having
enough” to “getting more.” When people
get caught up in this quest-to-possess
mentality, they get thrown off balance and
lose their economic equilibrium. You‟ll know
when you have become part of this
group, your fiscal life will be turned inside-out:

Once you buy into our culture‟s success
syndrome, it can be very easy to feel like a
financial failure of you can‟t immediately
achieve what you have set out to
accomplish. Let‟s face it, if your real life falls
short of what society says it ought to
be, then it is hard to feel good about
yourself.

But our financial failure isn‟t fatal, it can
improve immediately and you can put
yourself on the road to financial success
today, if you choose to do so, it‟s just a
matter of –
Assessment
Attitude
Action

A PRIMER ON TITHING;
PUTTING TITHING IN A STEWARDSHIP PERSPECTIVE
It will take all three (right
assessment, attitude, and action) to get you
going in the right direction. But it can
happen. This doesn‟t mean that you will
end up with more pesos, but you‟ll
definitely end up with more sense. If you
learn to live within your income, YOU will
be living with lot of things, including
worrying.

ASSESSMENT
IS THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR EARNING OR YOUR YEARNING?
1. YOU EARN TOO LITTLE
– Minimum-wage jobs are a great starting
place, but you will be forever frustrated
financially if you remain at that level.

2. YOU SPEND TOO MUCH
– You make enough money to live
on, but you are spending more than
you make. That‟s called deficit
spending.
ASSESSMENT
IS THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR EARNING OR YOUR YEARNING?

ASSESSMENT
IS THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR EARNING OR YOUR
YEARNING?
3. YOU NEGLECT TO PUT ANYTHING AWAY
FOR RAINY DAY
– debt is like a quicksand. You‟ll walk right
into it unless you watch where YOU are
going, and once you‟re in it, you‟ll have a
tough time getting out.

WHAT’S THE REAL REASON
FOR YOUR FINANCIAL FAILINGS?
The Wrong Feelings About
Money Can Get You Into Trouble:
 If you are indifferent about it, then you
won‟t be able to keep track of how much
you‟ve got or where it goes.
 If you are possessive of it, then you will be
either hoarding your money or spending it
to buy possessions that you continually
accumulate.

WHAT’S THE REAL REASON
FOR YOUR FINANCIAL FAILINGS?
The Wrong Feelings About
Money Can Get You Into Trouble:
 If you are too permissive with it, you won’t
spend it properly. You won’t use it
productively, and then it won’t be around to
do you any good when you need it.

WHAT ARE THE PERSPECTIVES THAT MIGHT
HAVE CAUSED YOUR FINANCIAL FAILURES OF
THE PAST
1. PROCASTINATION.
This is the No. 1 culprit in financial
failures. People just put off doing
something about their situation.
2. YOU‟VE GOT A SORDID PAST.
We‟re talking about credit report.

HAVE CAUSED YOUR FINANCIAL FAILURES OF
THE PAST
3. FAILURE TO HAVE A PLAN. Many people
don’t bother setting financial goals. They
believe in ignorant bliss – for a while. No
one plans to fail. They fail to plan.
4. IGNORANCE ABOUT FINANCIAL
MATTERS. We are saying that you might
not be knowledgeable about money.

HAVE CAUSED YOUR FINANCIAL FAILURES
OF THE PAST
To move yourself from financial failure to
success may require that you abandon
your previous financial habits. That will be
easier to do if you make sure that you
have a proper perspective about money.
We’re going to suggest that “to whom does
it belong?” and how you handle it” are
topics that have a spiritual dimension

ATTITUDE: WHOSE MONEY IS
IT?
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For
we brought nothing into the world, we can take
nothing out of it. But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that. People who
want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge
men into ruin and destruction. For the love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves into many griefs.” -1
Timothy 6:6-10

The Bible has an interesting perspective on
finances. It says that
“Everything
Belongs
To
God”

“The earth is the Lord‟s and
everything in it. The world and
all its people belong to Him.”
-Psalm 24:1

“Riches and honor come from
you alone, for you rule over
everything… Everything we
have has come from you, and
we give you only what you
have already given us!”
-1 Chronicles 29:12,14

So where do you fit into the “God owns
everything” scenario? We can answer that
question in one word:
“oikonomos” = stewardship.
The term implies a manager of a household
who administer someone else‟s property.
God has made us the stewards of his
possessions.

“You must put us in charge of everything you
made, giving us authority over all things.”
-Psalm 8:6
If what we have belongs to God, then we should
manage it according to his principles. This
perspective means that every decision we make
about our money – from how to spend it to how to
invest it – has spiritual ramifications.

“So don‟t worry about having enough food or
drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who
are so deeply concerned about these things. Your
heavenly Father already knows all your
needs, and He will give you all you need from
day to day if you live for Him and make the
Kingdom of God your primary concern.”
– Matthew 6:31-33

ACTION PLAN: FINANCIAL
PRINCIPLES THAT SET YOU FREE
THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF
CONSECRATION
#1. Dedicate It All To God.
“in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.”
-Proverbs 3:6
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God‟s
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God.”
-Romans 12:1

PRINCIPLES THAT SET YOU
FREE
THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING
#2. Give The First Part Back To God.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the
firstfruits of all your crops; Then your barns will
be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim
over with new wine.”
-Proverbs 3:9-10

FREE
When do I do it?
“On the day first day of the week , each of you
should set aside a sum of money in keeping with
his income, saving it up, so that when I come no
collections will have to be made.”
-1 Corinthians 16:2
The purpose of tithing is to teach you to
always put God first in your lives.

FREE
INVESTMENT
#3. Save For The Future
“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food
and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”
-Proverbs 21:20

FREE
This is the Principle of Investment
#3. SAVE FOR THE FUTURE
“Dishonest money dwindles away,
But he who gathers money little by little
makes it grow”
-Proverbs 13:11

FREE
This is the Principle of Planning
#4. EXTRACT YOURSELF FROM
DEBT AND DISCIPLINE YOURSELF
IN SPENDING
“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is your power to act.”
-Proverbs 3:27

FREE
This is the Principle of Planning
#4. EXTRACT YOURSELF FROM
DEBT AND DISCIPLINE YOURSELF
IN SPENDING
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the
continuing debt to love one another, for he who
loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
-Romans 13:8

What causes most debts?
We don’t plan our spending.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit
As surely as haste leads to poverty.”
-Proverbs 21:5

What causes most debts?
We don’t keep good records.
“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
For riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.”
-Proverbs 27:23-24

FREE
CONTENTMENT
#5. Enjoy What You Have
“Better what eyes sees
Than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
A chasing after the wind.”
-Romans 13:8

Notice What Most People Do With Their
Money
First, they spend it.
Actually they overspend it.
Two, they worry about it.
Three, they start repaying it.
Four, they‟ve got any left over they save a little.
Finally, they give it.

Notice What Most People Do With Their
Money
God says no, this is the order that I will bless.
First, dedicate it to Me.
Second, tithe it.
Third, save it.
Fourth, repay it.
Fifth, enjoy it.

“Do not worry about anything, instead pray
about everything. Tell God what you need, and
thank him for all he has done. If you do
this, you will experience God‟s peace, which is
far more wonderful than the human mind can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts
and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 4:6-7

“If you have not been trustworthy in
handling trustworthy in handling worldly
wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
Luke 16:11
How you manage your money influences
how much God can bless your life.

FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES THAT
SETS YOU FREE
The causes for not tithing:
1. Some churches do not tithe because they
simply have not been taught to tithe.
2. Some Christians do not tithe because of
painful experiences.
3. Some Christians do not tithe because they
refuse to do so.

DEFINITION: Tithe is ten
percent
Tithe – A gift of the Lord to one tenth of
one‟s income. The Mosaic Law requires that
the people of Israel give tithe.
(Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Malachi
3:10), partly as a means of supporting the
Priests and the Levites. Many Christians
observe the principle of tithing by giving a
tenth of their income to their church and or
other Christian organizations.

Historically, 3,800 B.C.
It dates back to the ancients, even outside
Jewish and Christians traditions.
Egyptians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, they give 10%
to their gods. The concept of tithe was not
limited to the bible. We know from ancient
sources that a man has always used a ten as a
basic number for counting systems. This was
apparently because we have ten fingers and ten
toes, and used ten as a basis of
measurement, as well as a symbol of completion.
Many pagan deities were honored by giving of a
tenth. The reason, The number ten represented
totality and completeness. Thus, giving a tenth
symbolized the giving of the whole. To give your
god a tenth represented giving your all, total
surrender.

500 years before Moses
Abraham
“and blessed be God Most High, who delivered
your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave
him a tenth of everything. “
- Gen. 14:20

Melchizedek
“This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest
of God Most High . He met Abraham returning
from the defeat of the kings and blessed
him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of
everything.
First, his name is means “king of righteousness;
then also “king of Salem.” means king of peace.”
-Hebrews 7:1-2

Jacob
“and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will
be God‟s house, and of all that you give me I
will give you a tenth.”
-Genesis 28:22

IN THE LAW
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether
grain from soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to
the Lord; it is holy to the Lord”
-Leviticus 27:30
“Be sure to set aside tenth of all that your fields
produce each year.”
-Deuteronomy 14:22

IN THE LAW
Leviticus 27:30;
Deuteronomy 14:22
All - not a part
Tithe – One-tenth
The Lord‟s – not mine
Holy – set apart, use for one purpose

TITHING COMMUNITY
“As soon as the order went out, the Israelites
generously gave the firstfruits of their
grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the
fields produced. They brought a great amount, a
tithe of everything.”
-2 Chronicles 31:5

TITHING COMMUNITY
“All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new
wine and oil into the storerooms.”
-Nehemiah 13:12

TITHING COMMUNITY
“Bring the whole into the storehouse, that there
may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says
the Lord God Almighty, and see if I will not
throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour
out so much blessing that you will not have
enough room for it.”
-Malachi 3:10

JESUS AND THE APOSTLES
Jesus observed and commanded
other requirements of the Law.
“Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don‟t tell
anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and
offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony
to them”
- Matthew 8:4

When he saw them, he said, he said, “Go show
yourself to the priests.” As they went they were
cleansed.
- Luke 17:14

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of
your spices, mint, dill and cummin. But you
have neglected the more important matters of
the law- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You
should have practiced the latter, without
neglecting the former.”
- Matthew 23:23

You‟re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees!
Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing
every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of
God‟s law, things like fairness and compassion and
commitment – the absolute basics! – you carelessly
take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is
commendable, but the basics are required. Do you
have any idea how silly you look, writing a life
story that‟s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking
over commas and semicolons?
THE MESSAGE- Matthew 23:23

PAUL AND THE CHURCHES
“On the day first day of the week , each of you
should set aside a sum of money in keeping with
his income, saving it up, so that when I come no
collections will have to be made.”
-1 Corinthians 16:2

3 TITHE SYSTEM
1. One tenth of all yearly produce
(Leviticus 27:30-34)
2. Festival Tithe
(Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 14:22-27)
3. Charity Tithe on the third year
(Deuteronomy 26:12; 14:28-29)

Chrysostom, the golden
mouthed,
cried, “Oh what a shame! That was no
great matter among the Jews should be
pretended to be such among Christians. If
there was danger in omitting tithes, think
how great must be the danger now !

Ambrose
in the fourth century said, „the Lord
commands our tithes to be paid every year.
He has given you nine parts but He has
reserved the tenth for Himself; and if you
give not the tenth part to Him, He will take
from you the nine parts. Whosoever is not
willing to those tithes to God which he has
kept back, fears not God and knows not
what true repentance and confession
means.”

John Knox, reminds us that our Lord in the
gospels, speaking to the Pharisees of the payment
of tithes, said “These ye ought to have done.” It is
only another instance of the great apostle‟s
teaching that “whatsoever was written a foretime
was written for our learning,” and another
confirmation of the fact that the Old and New
Testaments are not opposing books but
counterparts of one great volume, and that the
mandate of the one is the moral law of the other.
W.B. Riley

Christians live under grace
And therefore their tithing is not a legal
requirement but a response to the grace of
God. Jesus himself fulfilled the O.T. laws
including tithing but he never revised
the law downward.

“Just as you excel in everything – in faith, in
speech, in knowledge, in complete
earnestness – see that you also excel in the
grace of giving.”
-2 Corinthians 8:7

Let me put this in perspective on what the
bible says. In the key words that are used in
the bible,
1. the word “believe” is used 272 times
2. the word “pray” is used 371 times
3. the word “love” is used 714 times
4. the word “give” is used 2,162 times.
God is a giver and God wants us to be like him.

PRINCIPLES OF GIVING
THAT CHANGE LIVES
1. DIVINE GIVING
“Everything I have belongs to God.”
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the
firstfruits of all your crops, then your barns
will be filled to overflowing, and your vats
will brim over with new wine.”
-Proverbs 3:9-10

THAT CHANGE LIVES
2. SYSTEMATIC GIVING
“Now about the collection of God’s people. Do
what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the
first day of every week, each of you should set
aside a sum of money in keeping with his
income, saving it up, so that when I come no
collections will have to be made. Then, when I
arrive, I will give letters of introductions to the
men you approve and send them with your gift to
Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go
also, they will accompany me.”
1 Corinthians 16:1-4

THAT CHANGE LIVES
A. Periodic
B. Personal
C. Proportionate
D. Planned

THAT CHANGE LIVES
A. Periodic
“Now about the collection of God‟s people. Do
what I told the Galatian churches to do.”
1 Corinthians 16:1

Principles of giving that change
lives
B. Personal
“each of you should set aside a sum of money
in keeping with his income, saving it up…”
1 Corinthians 16:2

lives
C. Proportionate
“each of you should set aside a sum of money
in keeping with his income, saving it up, so
that when I come no collections will have to be
made.”- John 2:16

lives
D. Planned
“Don‟t you know that those who work in the temple
get their food from their temple, and those who serve at
the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the
same way, the Lord has commanded that those who
preach the gospel should receive their living from the
gospel. But I have not used these rights. I am not
writing this in the hope that you will do such things for
me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of
this boast.” -1 Corinthians 6:1-4

1. Tithe – work and worker (11%)
belonged to God
2. Offering – Beyond the eleven
percent. Outreach and Missions.
- Universal Church
- Para church Ministries
(1) Check
(2) Evaluate

3. Helps – responsibility to your
brethren
“Carry each others burdens, in this way you will
fulfil the law of Christ.”
- Galatians 6:2
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to all people, especially those who belong to
the family of believers.”
- Galatians 6:10

4. Alms- responsibility to those outside the
fellowship
“Be careful not to do your „acts of righteousness‟
before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will
have no reward from your Father in heaven.” So
when you give to the needy, do not announce it
with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
men. I tell you the truth, they have received their
reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand
is doing. So that your giving may be in secret. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you.” - Matthew 6:1-4

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the
Lord, and he will reward him for what
he has done.”
- Proverbs 19:17

“He who gives to the poor will lack
nothing,
But he who closes his eyes to them
receives many curses.”
-Proverbs 28:27

3. SACRIFICIAL GIVING
God expects me to give my heart first!
“And now, brothers, we want you know about the grace
that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the
most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme
poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that
they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded
with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the
saints. And they did not do so as we expected, but they
gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in
keeping with God‟s will.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Sacrificial Giving
1. Giving is by Grace. Vs 1
2. Giving in times of Great Affliction. Vs 2
3. Giving according and beyond ones ability. Vs 3
4. Giving voluntarily, eagerly & liberally. Vs 4
5. Giving themselves of first. Vs 5

4. Balanced Giving
“It is wrong for me to neglect the other
virtues.”

SECRET GIVING
Pride keeps me from giving in grace.
“Be careful not to do your „acts of righteousness‟ before
men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no
reward from your Father in heaven.” So when you give to
the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be
honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received
their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing. So that your giving may be in secret. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you.” - Matthew 6:1-4

BLESSINGS OF GIVING
“If I use my material blessings wisely,
I will be rewarded.”His master replied, „well
done, good and faithful servant! You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things. Come and share your
master‟s happiness!”
-Matthew 25:21

Blessings of Giving
a. Divine Approval
b. Respect of others
c. Better stewardship
d. Joy of kingdom partnership
e. A guarded heart
f. Strengthened relationship with brothers and
sisters in the Lord
g. Eternal rewards from the Master
h. A Growing ministry for God’s glory

“While every tither may not have financial
abundance result of his faithfulness of God, yet
every tither has the assurance of greater
treasure”… “and see if I will not throw open
the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have enough for it.”

This material is an In-depth Bible Study
material preached by Bro. Noel Tan on August 6
& 13, 2001 at Bread of Life Ministry Center at
Crossroads 77

Creative Giving: Tithing and Biblical Stewardship

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