24-0714p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(0:22) Good evening. Those that are here and those that are on the phone, we urge you to listen.

(0:36) Tonight I will wrap up this about In What Way in Malachi. (0:49) It’s going to be part three, and this is the fifth In What Way that is asked. (1:01) In Malachi, it says, Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me.

(1:14) But you say, In what way have we robbed you? (1:21) And the answer that God gives them is in tithes and offerings. (1:28) You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. (1:36) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

(1:42) And trial me now in this, says the Lord of hosts. (1:49) I will open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it. (2:07) So, God is telling his people things that he’s displeased with.

(2:17) And this especially, he is telling them that they are robbing God. (2:28) And it’s in their offerings and their tithes. (2:33) And as I said this morning, the questions that they ask, in what way, we might say how.

(2:45) Now, it is not wrong to seek answers, but sometimes questions might be asked sneeringly. (2:58) Oh yeah? Tell me how I’m wrong. (3:01) But that attitude, it may not be convincing even if you show them how wrong that they might be.

(3:16) So these questions, in what way, or this question, in what way, was asked five times in Malachi. (3:27) As I said, it is the fifth question that is in Malachi 3.8. (3:41) So the question is, or God tells them, you have, yet you have robbed me. (3:51) And then he asks the question, will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me.

(3:57) And so, their question is, in what way have we robbed you? (4:08) It would be in tithes and offerings. (4:12) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse. (4:17) And verse 10, that there may be food.

(4:23) Try me now in this, God says, if I will open the windows of heaven and pour out such blessings that there would not be room enough to receive it. (4:41) See, God is wanting to be good to Israel. (4:47) But the Israelites are not actually working to please Him that He might bless them.

(5:01) Now, today we are not under tithing. (5:11) Those of us who are here and familiar with study would know that tithing is for Israel. (5:25) In Genesis 14.20 that Tom read in our hearing, this is when Abraham went out and rescued his nephew Lot and his wife.

(5:47) When they were captured and they got all the goods that were there. (6:02) And they brought to save Lot and his wife and the others. (6:14) And they had the goods that were there.

(6:21) And on the way they met Melchizedek, the high priest of God. (6:32) He was the king of Salem. (6:39) Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine and he was the priest of God most high.

(6:47) And he blessed him and said, blessed be Abraham of God most high, possessor of heaven and earth. (6:58) And blessed be God most high who has delivered your enemies into your hand. (7:07) And he, Abraham, gave him a tithe of all.

(7:15) Some copies of the Bible say a tenth of all. (7:22) Now, today it is the money that these pastors and these preachers in the denominational world were tithed. (7:39) It’s only the money.

(7:40) But let’s begin this by saying that when Abraham gave a tithe of all, that’s more than money. (7:55) That is of the spoils that he got along with the captives that he brought along. (8:03) And he gave him a tenth of all.

(8:10) Now we turn to Numbers 18. (8:16) And we’re going to see something here. (8:30) Numbers 18 verses 24 through 28. (8:44) Numbers 18, 24 and 28. (8:57) That’s not one of them. (9:00) That’s not the one.

(9:09) Anyway, the scripture that I wanted is to say that I’m in Leviticus. (9:20) No wonder I’m not in the right place. (9:24) Numbers 18, 24 through 28.

(9:39) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (9:42) Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them, (9:47) When you take from the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them as your inheritance, (10:00) and you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe, (10:12) and your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor as the fullness of the winepress. (10:24) Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the Lord from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, (10:39) and you shall give the Lord’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. (10:48) Notice that the tithe would be given to the Levites.

(10:58) Again, what they are getting is more than just money. (11:07) They will receive money, but here this is more than just money. (11:15) It’s a tenth of…​ (11:18) And we’re going to see another thing in Deuteronomy 26 and 12.

(11:34) When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year, (11:44) the year of tithing, and I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, (11:57) so that they may eat within your gates and be filled. (12:07) And so not only do the Levites get tithe, but so does the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. (12:20) So they will have something to eat within your gates and be filled.

(12:29) So we can see that the tenth, or the tithe, is more than just money. (12:40) We’re to give today, some will say, a tenth of money. (12:48) And they will give a tenth, and that will be not only tithing, also offering.

(13:04) No wonder that in one setting, in my teens, I went to Nazarene Church two or three times. (13:21) And while I was there, in Sunday school, there was an offering taken up. (13:33) In worship, there was at least two times the plate was passed around.

(13:47) So it’s all about the money and getting money. (13:52) But now, let’s turn to Hebrews, the seventh chapter. (14:04) Hebrews really gives us some lesson on this.

(14:15) When he’s talking about Melchizedek, back in the fifth chapter, he mentions Melchizedek, (14:23) but he said that there was a lot that needed to be said that they couldn’t be able to bear, (14:33) because they were still feasting on milk of the Word. (14:42) And now, in the last verse of chapter six, (14:52) where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, (14:57) having become high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (15:05) Now, he’s talking about Melchizedek for a while, (15:14) and talks about him, but I want to start with verse five and go to verse nine.

(15:26) And indeed, those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, (15:34) have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, (15:42) that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abram. (15:51) But he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham, (16:02) and blessed him who had the promises. (16:06) Now, beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better.

(16:12) Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives. (16:25) Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak. (16:38) Now, I’m going to continue on.

(16:39) For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. (16:46) Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received love, (16:58) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek (17:07) and not be called according to the order of Aaron? (17:14) For the priesthood being changed of necessity, there is also a change of the law. (17:26) For he of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe (17:32) from which no man has officiated at the altar.

(17:39) For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood. (17:52) So the priesthood has changed. (17:56) The priest came from the tribe of Levi.

(18:00) It was the Levites that were supposed to receive the tithes. (18:13) Well, we’ve got a change in the priesthood. (18:19) It’s not according to the order of Aaron.

(18:23) Jesus is our high priest, and he belongs to another tribe. (18:29) He’s of Judah. (18:34) He’s of the tribe of Judah.

(18:37) So there is also a change of the law. (18:43) Now, these preachers and pastors and whatever that are saying that you must tithe, (19:02) if they would just read this, they would know that there is a change of law. (19:10) We’re not under the Mosaic law, and we’re not serving under that law (19:24) because we have a new law under Christ.

(19:30) We have a law that is much different. (19:34) It’s not according to the law that was given. (19:41) Now, we’re not going to say that the law of Moses was bad because it was good.

(19:51) But where it fell, it fell in that it did not cleanse the conscience from sin, (20:05) and also the people didn’t keep the law. (20:12) And you know, when we found out through Romans that the Jews had the law and didn’t keep the law. (20:26) The Gentiles didn’t have the law, but sometimes they did the things that the law said, (20:37) but they did things that perhaps showed up, but still both Jew and Gentile sinned, (20:51) as we learned that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.

(21:06) Well, just what are we to do? (21:10) 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul is now speaking concerning the collection, (21:27) and he’s telling them what to do. (21:35) And 1 Corinthians 16, 1, (21:38) Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, (21:47) so you must do also. (21:51) And I want to know that he’s not just telling the Corinthians what to do.

(22:00) He’s also told the churches of Galatia to do the same thing. (22:06) On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, (22:17) that there may be no collections when I come as he may prosper. (22:27) There is the one that is giving according as God prospering.

(22:40) There’s nothing in that that talks about tithing. (22:46) And we go to 2 Corinthians 9, and we look at verses 6 and 7. (22:56) But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. (23:04) He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

(23:10) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, (23:22) for God loves a cheerful giver. (23:27) We don’t give just because, well, we’re told to give, that’s what it says. (23:33) No, we’re to give, and give purposely.

(23:42) We don’t just dig in our pockets when the plate comes around, (23:48) or bring out our wallets and put whatever, a dollar or two in there. (23:56) We should purpose to give whatever. (24:03) Everybody gets a different income.

(24:07) So what you make and what you receive, you have to work it accordingly. (24:14) And it is between you and God. (24:20) And then you should do it cheerfully.

(24:27) You know, we should not begrudge what we give. (24:35) You know, there is a thing that I read that happened. (24:45) This man wouldn’t give in the local congregation.

(24:54) He thought that when he gave, that he was giving to the church. (25:01) But as Scott pointed out this morning, this money is not ours to begin with. (25:16) Just like the food that we receive, the air that we breathe.

(25:25) We really depend on God, and God gives these things to us. (25:31) He’s withholding from God. (25:35) Just like Malachi.

(25:41) The question was, will a man rob God? (25:48) He says, yes, you have robbed God. (25:52) They wanted to know how. (25:54) Well, it was in their offerings, in the tithe.

(25:59) They did need to tithe. (26:04) That was for the Levites. (26:14) Now, I did find a sixth.

(26:23) In what way? (26:26) God said, return to me, and I will return to you. (26:33) And they asked, in what way will we return to you? (26:41) In what way? (26:45) Oh, there is so much confusion about how someone can return to God today. (26:56) So many things that people will come up with, that you must do this in order to be saved.

(27:04) You must do that in order to be saved. (27:07) And so we have these things. (27:13) But God has told them all through this what He was displeased with.

(27:23) For them, it was get back to doing what God wants done. (27:29) Offer these sacrifices without blemish. (27:34) Don’t bring a sacrifice that is sickly or even stolen.

(27:46) Honor His name by doing what He wants. (27:50) Be pleased with His table. (27:57) Those are the things that they needed to do.

(28:00) Also, bring your tithes and offers. (28:05) And I want to also add that if it was just money that He’s talking here, (28:14) why would you need a storehouse for the money? (28:18) Just money. (28:21) The storehouse was to store the grain, the food.

(28:29) And so God is wanting us to bless Him. (28:35) And so we have a different law we’re under, and tithing is not under a law of Christ. (28:48) So we know that.

(28:50) And so the invitation to, He said, return to me and I will return to you. (28:59) If anyone hasn’t done that or if someone has departed, He says, return to me. (29:08) I know in here we’ve got those that are members.

(29:13) And we need to understand that if we’re not pleasing God, and you know you’re not pleasing God, (29:23) we should return to God. (29:27) So why not do so while we stand and sing the invitation song?(29:33)