Hot Takes - Tithing

What this episode covers

Hot-take: a statement that's provocative enough that people can't help but weigh in with their thoughts.2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him… 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.ROMANS 14:1-3HOT TAKE: TITHING. DO I HAVE TO GIVE IT?30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. 33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”LEVITICUS 27:30-3342 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.ACTS 2:42-4717 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.MARK 10:17 -22JESUS REVEALS “BARE-MINIMUM” DISCIPLESHIPJesus was filled with loving compassion for this man because his life was so empty. He had climbed to the top of the ladder of success, only to find his ladder leaned against the wrong building.David GuzikJESUS REVEALS THE TENSION OF MONEY23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”  MARK 10:24We often excuse ourselves from what Jesus said here because we don’t consider ourselves rich. Yet compared to this rich young ruler, each one of us enjoys more luxuries and comforts than he did. Riches present a difficulty because they tend to make us satisfied with this life instead of longing for the age to come. It is also true that riches must often be acquired at the expense of acquiring God.David GuzikFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.MATTHEW 6:21WHAT IS THE TITHE?IT’S 10%IT’S FIRST-FRUITSNow Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And [c]in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. GENESIS 4:2-54 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.HEBREWS 11:4WHAT WAS THE TITHE FOR?SUPPORTING LEVITICAL PRIESTS (O.T.), SUPPORTING THE LOCAL CHURCH. (N.T.)PHYSICAL SACRIFICE FOR A SPIRITUAL REALITYFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.MATTHEW 6:21“The discipline of sacrifice is one in which we forsake the security of meeting our needs with what is in our hands. It is total abandonment to God, a stepping into the darkened abyss in the faith and hope that God will bear us up. Dallas WillardMYTH.01: TITHING WILL MAKE YOU RICHHonor the Lord with your wealth    and with the firstfruits of all your produce;then your barns will be filled with plenty,    and your vats will be bursting with wine.PROVERBS 3:9-10MYTH.02: TITHING IS FROM THE LAW, WE DON’T LIVE UNDER THE LAW ANYMORETITHING IS NOT A COMMAND, BUT IT SHOULD BE A NATURAL RESPONSE.8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”LUKE 19:8-10

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