by David Docusen | August 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
This is a question I get all the time. The area of finances is one that is so personal. It’s so confusing to many. And many times, people just haven’t had good, solid, Biblical perspective given to them on tithing. Here’s some thoughts on tithing to help answer questions from God’s Word about tithing.
I’ve also included some great resources that will help if you want to dig deeper. This one’s a bit long, but I think that our finances are a great indicator of our trust in God. If we can learn faithfulness in our finances, it allows us to practically SHOW our trust in God.
I’m going to split this up with some bullet points to make it a bit easier to digest.
__ Tithing is an Old Testament principle that carries over into the New Testament times (now)
__ Malachi 3:6-12 talks about the tithe (by definition, “tithe” literally means 10 percent:
**Malachi 3:6-12 – 6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ 8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
__ This is the part that refers to the local church (verse 10) when it says “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.” Tithes back in the OT were given with the first 10%…the best…of the animals and food that was grown. Bringing it into the storehouse (the Temple) was our version of the local church.
__ As you can see…God clearly describes that there is a blessing – and a curse – that comes along with aligning our finances (or not). Quite simply, we fall under God’s blessing when we honor him with the firstfruits of our “harvest” (our income). When we do not honor him, we are outside of that Bibilical blessing.
**Exodus 23:19 – The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. (another reference to the first 10% of our income being given to the “house of the Lord.”)
**Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
__The Apostle Paul talks about the importance of the FIRST fruits being given to the Lord…that the beginning has direct impact on the things that follow:
**Romans 11:16 – For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
__ When we give to God FIRST, it is placing your trust in God, rather than our ability to “make things work.” That’s why the first of our income is supposed to go to God. The first part of our income that we give to the Lord’s house redeems the rest of our income and opens God’s blessings in our finances.
__ Jesus refers to tithing in Luke 11:42, but he actually makes it seem like an elementary part of our faith that should be followed. As Jesus is correcting the religious leaders of the day for their behavior, he mentions that tithing is a principle that should be followed:
vs. 42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
__ I would really encourage you to pick up a copy of “The Blessed Life” by Robert Morris. Kind of a corny title to a book, but it’s the best, most clearly laid out description of tithing and the blessing that comes along with it that I’ve ever come across.
__ Also… here is a link to a sermon on tithing that might be helpful. It’s from a pastor in Washington, DC that I respect, Mark Batterson:
I’ll end with one last thought…Malachi 3:10 actually challenges us to “put God to the test.” There’s not many places in the Bible that say that, but it specifically says that there. I believe that God allows us to test him because the principle of tithing the first 10% of our income places our trust in him. And when we place our trust in him, he WILL NOT fail us.
I promise you this…if you allow God into your finances, you won’t regret it.
by David Docusen | August 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
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UPCOMING EVENTS
PRAYER IN UPTOWN – Saturday, August 4, 8am, Seventh Street Public Market
SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE for CFH – Sundays, August 5 & 12
Bring school supplies to the basket at the Welcome Table this Sunday. Requested items are available on our calendar. Tax Free Weekend starts today. BASEBALL & FIREWORKS – Saturday, August 11, 8:15pm
Charlotte Knights baseball and fireworks. $8 General Admission Upper Deck seats on the 3rd base side. Meet at 7pm at ETES to carpool or 7:30pm at the gate, or find us in the seats. Email [email protected] for more info, including a phone number to text if you have trouble finding us that evening. BACKPACKS at CFH – Monday, August 14, 8pm, CFH Office
Organize backpacks with school supplies. Sign up at the Welcome Table or email [email protected]. PARENT UNIVERSITY – Tuesday, August 15, 6:30pm, Myers Park UMC
BAPTISM CELEBRATION – Sunday, August 19, 11am
If you have given your heart to Jesus and are yet to be baptized, email [email protected] for information. COMMUNITY DINNER – Sunday, August 19, 6pm, Independence Park/Pavilion 1
An opportunity to connect as a church family and invite friends from the community.
ETES SERVICE DAY – Saturday, August 25, 9am
Bring the kids as we landscape to prepare for the school year. Sign up at the Welcome Table or email [email protected]. WEEKLY EVENTS
HAWTHORNE PLACE – Wednesdays, 6:30pm
MORNING PSALMS AND PRAYER – Thursdays, 7:15am, Plaza-Midwood
THE CIRCLE MAKER – Thursdays in August, 7pm, Church Office
*new* INTERCESSORY PRAYER – Fridays, 7pm, Church Office
Join us for a time of prayer for our church, community, and city. For more information, email [email protected]. |
by David Docusen | July 30, 2012 | Uncategorized
I may be the world’s most distractable person. I’m not even quite sure that distractable is a word. In fact, I know it’s not a word, but I think you catch what I’m trying to say. And chances are, so are you.
There are so many options on how I can fill my time. Family. Friends. Text messages. Twitter. Facebook. Phone. Internet. Entertainment. The list continues to grow. In all reality, I never have to be alone. Never. I can just pick up my phone and be connected with someone. This is a beautiful thing. But it’s also replacing a part of me that I am trying to recover:
Me. The real me.
I find that I learn more about myself in silence. In times of prayer between myself and God. In times of reflection and rest. But these times are easily, and subconsciously, replaced by keeping myself busy. Sound familiar?
I think one of the great endeavors that we can choose to embrace is the endeavor to find silence. Times of rest and reflection. I can already hear you say it, “I’m too busy for that.” If we are all honest, we choose to be busy. Our choices keep us distracted and our thoughts occupied.
Try something for me today: carve out ten minutes of silence, rest and relaxation. See what happens when you turn off your phone, your computer and your accessibility. And see if those ten minutes lead to finding something that you possibly haven’t been familiar with in a while:
You. The real you.
In that moment, choose to include God. Talk to him. Tell him how you are feeling deeper than the surface level. Finding silence is a rare quest these days. Let’s choose to be different.
by David Docusen | July 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
One of the gifts of visionary leaders is the ability to feel things in advance. Leaders see things in advance and then figure out ways to get a group of people to that point. This is probably one of the biggest areas of growth for me since we started Center City Church.
I know where I want to us be next year. I know where I want to be in six months. But I’ve learned that just because I’m feeling something for tomorrow doesn’t mean that we will arrive there today. I have work to do today that will prepare our church family for tomorrow.
Seasons are a funny thing. I have learned (and continue to learn) that the actions of today lead to the health of tomorrow. So that’s where I find my motivation for the current season that we are in at Center City. I believe that I am putting my hands to work today on things that will be realized in the next several months.
Don’t neglect today’s work in the hopes of tomorrow’s blessings. I am grateful for so many that have spoken into my life to let me know it’s ok to have a vision for the future as long as steps are being taken today to get there in a healthy way with a firm foundation.
What are you working on today that will bring to pass what you see and feel in your heart for tomorrow?
by David Docusen | July 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
It’s not too late.
So many times, the past hurts, disappointments and failures of life make a lasting imprint. The past begins to dictate the future and a slippery slope of defeat carries us down. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Your future begins today. You don’t have to repeat the same mistakes. Your story can change.
Just like a great novel, life is full of ups and downs. Victories and defeats. But the best stories are the ones that are full of hope, healing and restoration. That’s where Jesus comes in to the story.
When you give your past to Jesus, your future lights up. He is full of grace and forgiveness. He calls us to come to Him and then he gives us purpose to continue the journey. If you haven’t given him a chance, maybe today is your day.
Your story can change. But you can’t do it on your own. Give Jesus a chance. It’s not too late.
Romans 3:23-26 – 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
by David Docusen | July 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
In one of the most gripping moments in Scripture, a faithful man of God named Daniel makes a request that has so captured my imagination. While his country is in exile and he’s crying out to God to intervene, Daniel says this:
**Daniel 9:17-18 – 17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. 18 “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
I love this imagery. “O my God, lean down and listen to me.”
God is a present, he is alive, he is listening and he cares deeply. Is is interested in your life and he loves to hear your voice. Just like I am so moved when my youngest son, Ben (3), talks with me and tells me he loves me, so is God interested and captivated by your words.
You have his full attention. What will you say?
