I have noticed that for the most part Tithes and Offerings are not taught. If we, as preachers and leaders, are not teaching people about Tithes and Offerings, we are deceiving them.
2 Timothy 4: 2 (NASB) Preach the word; insist on time and out of time; rebuke, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.
I have seen and heard many pastors and leaders curse their offering saying:
“There are not many people here today, so tithes and offerings will be very few.” They even look at the number of envelopes collected, and if they don’t see many envelopes, they assume that the tithes and offerings will not be many.
Another thing they say is: “Mr. or Mrs. So and so is not here today, so tithes and offerings will be low.” Or they also say, “We need more professional people in our church, and then the tithes and offerings will be larger.”
They go so far as to say: “I know these people, and I know they can’t give, that’s why our tithes and offerings will be low.”
People are not your source. Another way of saying this is: “Your congregation is not your source.” There is only one source, and his name is Jesus.
When I teach in Sunday services about Tithes and Offerings by the Power of the Holy Spirit, pastors are amazed at the amount raised. Why does this happen? Because I never put my eyes on people. My eyes are always on the One who can make all things happen – Jesus.
I encourage you to preach and teach about Tithes and Offerings. Put your eyes on Jesus and not on his people. You have no idea how Jesus is dealing with his congregation. He’s the one who can give you “million dollar ideas.” He is the one who takes care of their hearts regarding giving, He is the one who can give them favor. You have no idea how the economy is going to come in, but it will come if your church is built on THE ROCK. You will see what will happen!
Tithes and Offerings are transactions from Heaven. When people give, it is a heavenly transaction that they are giving to Jesus, and not to the church. In chapter 7: 1-8 of the book of Hebrews, verse 8 talks about how Abram gave Melchizedek – Melchizedek is Jesus. Hebrews 7: 8 (KJV) And here mortals certainly receive tithes; but there, one of whom it is testified that he lives.
God knows where he lives, God knows what his circumstances are, and God is above all this. Tithes and Offerings are not about keeping your church going – you are already doing that. Tithes and Offerings are used to maintain the church, but that’s only a small part. Tithes and Offerings have to do with the impact of the Kingdom.
Deuteronomy 15: 6 (ESV) tells us, Since Jehovah your God will have blessed you, as he has told you, then you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; You will have dominion over many nations, but they will not have dominion over you.
In Genesis 4: 1-6 (KJV) the Word of God shows us something important about the Offerings: “Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, and said: By the will of the Lord I have acquired male. Later she gave birth to her brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd of sheep, and Cain was a farmer of the land. And it came to pass in time that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Jehovah. And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his sheep, of the fattest of them. And the Lord looked with favor upon Abel and his offering; But he did not look with favor on Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why have you been angry, and why has your countenance fallen?”
Has he ever asked his congregation, “Are you giving an Abel offering or are you giving a Cain offering?” Cain gave an offering that he knew he could get back, so his offering came off the ground. However, Abel gave an offering that he knew he would not return, therefore God had to come forward. The lesson here is that God will present himself as usual. God wants to be first in his life, in all areas of his life.
So many times, I hear the message of the Tithes and Offerings say, “If you just give, everything will be fine … God will bless you.” That’s not true! God is not impressed with the money He has already given them. What moves God is your time with him, his prayer life, his church life, and his tithes and offerings. You can’t leave any of these out, just like you can’t bake a cake and leave an ingredient out.
Malachi 3: 8-11 (KJV) Will Man Rob God? Well, you have robbed me. And you said: How did we rob you? In your tithes and offering