To Tithe
or Too Tight
What is Tithes VS
Tithes and Offerings (both
Offerings? are in a form of
GIVING)
•Tithe simply meant
TITHE “Tenth” (Ikapu or
Ikasampu), it is a
form of giving but
LORD’S SHARE
has a fixed amount,
no more no less.
• It is originated from God (Lev. 27:30
“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.” So, even though the word
TITHE “tithe” is first mentioned in Gen 14:20
when Abraham gave tithe to
Melchizedek, but the mere fact that
God claimed ownership of the tithe,
IT BELONGS TO HIM from
CREATION ‘till the END of the
world.
• Tithe did not conceive from the
time of Abraham but rather it
was there from the creation of
the world! In fact, it was ONLY
TITHE GIVEN to the Levites by the
LORD as an inheritance
• Therefore, God can give the
tithe to anyone according to his
pleasure because it is his.
First, God; second, man’s own physical
and spiritual welfare; and third, their
neighbor’s need.
God, you, and your neighbor is
a good trinity in planning one’s giving and
perfect example of vertical and horizontal
piece of the cross.
Chapter 1:6-8 Tobit's Faithfulness to His Religion
6 I was the only one in my family who regularly
went to Jerusalem to celebrate the religious
festivals, as the Law of Moses commands everyone
to do. I would hurry off to Jerusalem with the first
part of my harvest, the first-born of my animals, a
tenth of my cattle, and the freshly clipped wool
from my sheep. Then I would stand before the
altar in the Temple, and give these offerings to the
priests, the descendants of Aaron.
Chapter 1:6-8 Tobit's Faithfulness to His
Religion
7 I would give a tenth of my grain, wine,
olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other
fruits to the Levites who served God in
Jerusalem. Every year, except the seventh
year when the land was at rest,[a] I would
sell a second tenth of my possessions and
spend the money in Jerusalem on the
festival meal.
Chapter 1:6-8 Tobit's Faithfulness to His
Religion
8 But every third year, I would give a third
tithe to widows and orphans and to foreigners
living among my people, and we would eat the
festival meal together. I did this in keeping with
the Law of Moses, which Deborah, the mother
of my grandfather Ananiel, had taught me to
obey. (I had been left an orphan when my
father died.)
Matt 23:23
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a
tenth of your spices—mint, dill and
cumin. 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.
OFFERING
•Offering is a form of giving,
but unlike Tithe, it has no
fixed amount but rather it is
more of a free will.
The three different
types of Offering:
1. The Seed offerings
• Offerings are more of a free will. It’s up to
you how much seed you want to give.
• Although the more you give, the more you
will receive (Luke 6:38). Think of it as the
more seeds you sow, the more plants you
can harvest.
1. The Seed offerings
• So where should you give your offerings or
plant your seed? The Bible says that the
source of your spiritual food should receive
your offerings (1 Corinthians 9:11).
2. The First Fruits offerings
• The first fruits are usually done once a year
or for every new blessing that you receive
(Deuteronomy 14:22).
• Any new blessings that you receive count as
a first fruit, so all these should be offered to
God (Proverbs 3:9).
2. The First Fruits offerings
• Giving your first fruits once a year will
show how grateful you are for the
blessings that you received from Him.
3. Almsgiving (Charities/Monetary
Assistance)
• In the Bible, it says that you should give alms in
secret so you can protect the dignity of those who
are in crisis. In fact, helping others were practice
in the early church. Acts 4:32-35 demonstrates
how the early church in Jerusalem generously
shared whatever they have in order that all who
belong to the body of believers would not lack
anything.
3. Almsgiving (Charities/Monetary
Assistance)
• Always remember that you need to have the
right intentions and motivations when giving.
• Your heart should be pure when doing such
selfless acts and God will bestow more
blessings upon you.
Romans 12:3b
“Be honest in your
evaluation of yourselves,
measuring yourselves by
the faith God has given
us.”.
Therefore, blessings
will be upon the
“TITHER”, but curse
will be upon the
“TIGHTER”!
Why do we
Tithe/Give?
1. God created and owned
everything (Gen. 1, Psalm 24:1)
• Including your body because it is made from
earth that He created (Gen. 2:7b)
• Including your life because it is God’s breathed
(Gen. 2:7c)
• Including your cloth (as a form of Wealth),
because it is the only thing that God attached to
us from cradle to grave (Gen. 3:21)
2. God wants us to be a “Good
Steward”.
• God said to Abraham in Gen. 12:2 “I will
bless you…..and you will be a blessing”-
- I will bless you meant “God’s generosity”
- to be a blessing meant “to be a good
steward”, because you can’t be a blessing
if you are not a good steward.
2. God wants us to be a “Good
Steward”.
• How to be a “good steward”? (e.g, Landlord,
and a Land tiller principle)
• Manage God’s property (Gen. 1:26)
• Enrich God’s property (Gen. 1:28)
• Give back what is due to God (Matthew
22:21, Lev. 27:30)
3. God wants to provide for our
needs (1 Kings 17:7-16)
• Elements for provision:
- Obey God – “I have directed a widow there to
supply you with food” V9b
- Trust God – “Don’t be afraid” V13a
- Put God first – “But first make a small loaf of
bread for me from what you have and bring it to
me” V13b
4. God wants to provide for our
needs (1 Kings 17:7-16)
- God did not send Elijah to the Widow so that the
widow may provide food for him, but rather God
sent Elijah to the Widow so that God can provide
food for her family (V14-16) For this is what the
Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will
not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
4. God wants to provide for our
needs (1 Kings 17:7-16)
God did not teach us to give to the ministry
to provide for its need, but God taught us to
give so that He can provide for our needs!
4. God wants to provide for our
needs (1 Kings 17:7-16)
•Jesus said in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will
be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and
running over, will be poured into your
lap. For with the measure you use, it will
be measured to you.”
5. God wants to us to be complete.
• It is recorded in Acts 20:35 that Jesus said
“It is more blessed to give than to receive”.
It is because our God is a “giving” God, not
a “receiving” God (GIVING IS AMONG
THE CHARACTERS OF GOD), because he
doesn’t need anything and lacks nothing.
A HOLE IN OUR HEARTS VS. A
WHOLE HEART
A hole in our hearts
• a “hole in our hearts” is created when
the “GIVING” CHARACTER OF GOD is
not present in our hearts, thus
discontentment is very evident. (Jn. 4:13
“ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks
this water will be thirsty again”)
A HOLE IN OUR HEARTS VS. A
WHOLE HEART
Whole Heart
• a “whole heart” is created when the
“GIVING” CHARACTER OF GOD is
present in our hearts, thus it will make us
complete.
• a “whole heart” is a cheerful giver and
lacks nothing
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Each of you should give what you have
decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. And God is able to bless
you abundantly, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work.
If you have joy in giving that
means God’s character occupied
the empty space in your heart.
Thus, you feel excitement, joy
and satisfaction each time you
practice giving which gives glory
to God!
Remember, do not feel obliged to
practice all of these but give
according to the measure of your
faith. It is because it will only
crush your spirity if you give with
a wrong heart.
But today, I encourage you
to make up your mind and
make a decision: “to tithe”?
Or still “too tight”? To give
or too stingy? Blessing or
curse?
Be a cheerful and generous
giver, because god wants
to bless you, provide for
your needs and to make
your heart/joy complete!
