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Rooted: Week Two – Biblical Stewardship Involves Sacrifice

Rooted: Week Two – Biblical Stewardship Involves Sacrifice

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We have looked at two analogies:  Rivers and Rocks

 

Psalm 1:1–6 (NIV) 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Jeremiah 17:5–8 (NIV) 5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

 

What does trusting God look like? –He calls –we come to Him –We hear Him –we put what He says into practice (not just once but in practice) .

Luke 6:46–49 (NIV)

 

Reminder –God has much to say about obedience with your finances

Example: Matthew 6:21–24 (NIV) 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

 

Obedient personal generosity is a characteristic of a believer

Leviticus 19:9–10 (NIV)              Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 9:10–11 (NIV) 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Acts 20:35 (NIV)              Acts 2:44–45 (NIV)

 

There are rules built around generosity

1 Timothy 5:8-9 (NIV) 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

2 Thessalonians 3:10–13 (NIV)

 

Biblical Generosity in the body of Christ – the church

  • Just as our physical gifts are to be used as a part of the body of Christ so is our financial resources
  • We at Real Life believe in tithing (see membership class)
  • We call this biblical generosity
  • Biblical generosity has a corporate aspect, a family aspect and a societal aspect
  • 1 Timothy 5:8

Tithing is found in scripture before the Mosaic law

Genesis 14:18–20 (NIV) 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

 

Tithing in the Old Testament law

Leviticus 27:30 (NIV) 30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.

Numbers 18:21 (NIV)                    Deuteronomy 18:4 (NIV)            Numbers 18:26 (NIV)

 

Tithing in the New Testament

Matthew 23:23 (NIV) 1 Corinthians 16:2 (NIV)

 

The purposes of tithing

Ephesians 3:10 (NIV)  1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

Malachi 3:6–12 (NIV) 6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

  1. Tithing is a safeguard for my own heart
  2. God is first in everything –He comes first
  3. Acknowledgement -What I have ultimately came from God –its His
  4. What I will have ultimately will be decided by God –I trust in Him rather than my storehouse
  5. Not My storehouse –His storehouse
  6. I am His manager of His things
  7. Do a study on the word first in the Old Testament
    Proverbs 3:9–10 (NIV) Deuteronomy 8:17–18 (NIV)
  8. Tithing supplies the needs of the church –salaries –programs –etc.
  • What God has done through us together Acts 6:3–4 (NIV) 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
  1. Tithing brings Jesus the glory – through the church which represents Him
  • Personal generosity makes me the hero – church generosity makes Jesus the hero

Matthew 6:2–4 (NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:10–13 (NIV)

What will this require

  1. A different way of living – limiting how much of the world I take for myself
  2. A different kind of celebration – eternity – spiritual –the praises of God

Humility to learn – most of us were not taught how to live In this world but not be Of it.

 

Opening Question: Is there such a thing as a “selfless” good deed?

Main Point: Biblical stewardship involves sacrifice. Lots of people like to be generous, but they want to do it their own way, not in the way God wants them to be. Generosity outside of God’s parameters is not obedience according to scripture.

Main Scripture: Malachi 3:6-12

Head Questions

  • What is a tithe and what is an offering? What is the difference?
  • Why is it important to be generous in the way God prescribes (vs. our own ideas of generosity)? How do we see this play out in the scripture above?

Heart Questions

  • How does giving tithes and offerings (actions/obedience) change someone’s heart?
  • What have you had to sacrifice in order to be obedient to God? What did God show you through that sacrifice?

Hands Questions

  • What does sacrifice look like for you now in this season? How can that help you prepare for potential storms?
  • Do you have a next step in the area of finances? If so, what is it? (Budgeting, conversation with spouse, stepping out in faith, etc.)

Additional Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Deuteronomy 8:1-11, Psalm 1

 

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