Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000027
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00:32 Let's pray.
00:35 Our beloved heavenly Father, once again we come 00:37 into Your presence with awe and with wonder 00:42 because You're the great God. 00:44 You're the God above all gods. 00:48 You're the Creator, You're the Redeemer, 00:50 You're our Sustainer. 00:52 You gave us Your Holy Word so that we could have 00:55 certainty in this world of confusion. 00:58 Father, as we open Your Word today, we ask for the 01:01 presence of Your Holy Spirit. 01:03 As we study the financial secrets of the Sanctuary 01:07 we ask for divine guidance. 01:09 Soften hearts and open minds. 01:11 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:13 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:17 I'd like to begin our study today by turning in my Bible, 01:21 and I invite you to turn in yours, 01:22 to Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verses 17 and 18. 01:28 Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verses 17 and 18. 01:33 This is speaking about Israel entering the Promised Land, 01:37 and God is giving them a warning. 01:41 And there's some very important information 01:43 in this warning that God shares with the people of Israel. 01:49 Deuteronomy chapter 8 verses 17 and 18. 01:53 "Then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of 02:00 my hand have gained me this wealth.' 02:05 And you shall remember the Lord your God, 02:08 for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, 02:14 that He may establish His covenant which He swore 02:19 to your fathers, as it is in this day." 02:24 This verse expresses a very important principle. 02:28 And that is that God is the One who gives us the power 02:35 to acquire wealth. 02:38 Furthermore, other passages of Scripture make it very clear 02:43 that the wealth that we amass is really not our wealth at all. 02:50 Because everything belongs to God. 02:54 In Psalm 24 and verse 1, it says, "The earth is the Lord's, 02:58 and the fullness thereof." 03:00 In other words, we don't really own anything. 03:04 Even the wealth we amass and we accumulate 03:07 is not ours, but His. 03:11 Now God gave a way in which we can remember 03:17 that He is the owner and we are His stewards. 03:21 God has given us a test. 03:24 And that test has to do with the tithe. 03:30 You see, the tithe is the method that God uses to test us 03:34 to see if we recognize that everything that we have 03:39 really actually belongs to God. 03:44 Now I'd like us, first of all in our study today, 03:47 to take a look at the tithing system in the Levitical 03:52 priesthood of the Old Testament. 03:54 That's what we're going to begin with. 03:56 Turn with me to Leviticus chapter 27 03:59 and we'll read verse 30, and then we'll also read verse 32. 04:04 Leviticus chapter 27 verse 30, and then we'll jump down 04:08 to verse 32. 04:11 Here we find the following words... 04:49 Very clearly these verses tell us that the tithe is holy 04:55 and that the tithe belongs to the Lord in a very special way. 05:02 Now the question is, what was the tithe system 05:06 established for? 05:08 Okay, ten percent of our income is in a special way God's. 05:14 And God has given that as a test to see if we recognize Him 05:19 as the owner of everything that we possess. 05:22 But what was the money of the tithe to be used for? 05:26 Turn with me to Numbers chapter 18 and verse 20. 05:31 You see, Israel was composed of twelve tribes, as we know. 05:36 And there was one of those tribes, the tribe of Levi, 05:40 that did not receive any inheritance in the land 05:45 of Canaan. 05:46 In other words, every tribe of Israel got a portion of land 05:50 to distribute among the different families. 05:52 But the tribe of Levi received no land. 05:55 They received no inheritance in the land of Canaan 05:59 when Israel entered the Promised Land. 06:02 So the question is, how were the Levites to sustain themselves? 06:06 Notice Numbers chapter 18 verse 20 where we are told 06:10 that they received no inheritance. 06:12 It says there... 06:32 So God is saying, "I am the inheritance 06:35 of Aaron and also of the Levites. 06:39 Because you received no plot of land in the land of Canaan." 06:43 Now, what were the tithes given to Aaron 06:48 and to the Levites for? 06:50 Notice Numbers chapter 18 verse 21, the very next verse. 06:56 Here God is speaking, and He says... 07:06 Now let's stop there for a minute. 07:08 Who gave the Levites the tithe? 07:11 God gave the Levites the tithe. 07:13 So who paid the Levites? 07:16 God did. 07:17 You know, it has become very common in the church today 07:20 for people to withhold tithe if they don't like the pastor. 07:23 Because they say, "We pay your salary." 07:27 The fact is that this text tells us that the church members 07:30 do not pay the salary of the pastor. 07:33 God pays the salary of the pastor. 07:37 This text says it very clearly. 07:45 Now notice the reason why. 07:47 It continues saying... 08:00 In other words, they met the spiritual needs of Israel. 08:04 And because they were employed fulltime 08:07 in meeting the needs, spiritual needs, of Israel, 08:12 Israel was suppose to bring the tithes, 08:15 and God paid the Levites with the tithes. 08:20 Now I would like you to notice also Numbers chapter 18 08:24 and verse 24. 08:26 Once again, the same concept is expressed all over again. 08:30 It says here... 08:39 Notice the idea once again. 08:55 So who gave the Levites the tithe? 08:57 Yes, the church members brought their tithes 09:01 to the Sanctuary, to the temple, but really God was paying them 09:06 for the spiritual service that they rendered 09:10 to the congregation of Israel. 09:13 Now there's an interesting detail there 09:15 in Numbers chapter 18, and that is that even the Levites 09:20 tithed the tithe. 09:23 Notice what we find in Leviticus chapter 18 09:26 and verse 26. 09:28 Leviticus chapter 18 and verse 26. 09:32 It says here, "Speak thus to the Levites and say to them, 09:37 'When you take from the children of Israel the tithes 09:40 which I have given you...'" 09:42 Notice once again the same idea. 09:44 "...which I have given you from them as your inheritance, 09:48 then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, 09:53 a tenth of the tithe." 09:56 So notice once again that not only was the congregation 10:00 to tithe, but the Levites were suppose to tithe the tithe. 10:07 Basically, the reason why is because the Levites 10:11 were the ministers of Israel and they were suppose to give 10:14 a good example. 10:17 How can a minister ask the congregation to tithe 10:20 if the minister is not faithful in tithing? 10:24 The pastor is to be an example to his flock. 10:27 And so we're told that the ministers in the Sanctuary, 10:32 the Levites, had to offer a tithe of the tithe. 10:37 Now the question is, what if the priesthood became corrupt? 10:42 Well, the Bible tells us that there were periods when 10:46 the priesthood of Israel was very corrupt. 10:49 And the congregation would be tempted, probably, to say, 10:52 "Why should we take our tithes for those guys to earn a living 10:55 if they're in apostasy?" 10:57 Let's notice one of those examples of apostasy in Israel. 11:02 Malachi chapter 1 and verse 6, and then we will read verse 8. 11:07 Malachi chapter 1 and we'll read verse 6, 11:09 and then we'll jump down to verse 8. 11:12 Here, God... 11:13 Actually, the book of Malachi, God is complaining a lot 11:16 about the apostasy of Israel. 11:18 This is what He says... 11:52 The Bible says that they were suppose to offer 11:54 unblemished sacrifices. 11:56 They were taking advantage and saying, 11:57 "Oh, let's offer this blind one. 11:58 We can't sell it for a good price, 12:00 so let's offer it to the Lord." 12:21 So they were offering lame, sick, and blind sacrifices. 12:27 They despised the name of the Lord, 12:29 and they did not reverence Him. 12:31 In fact, they didn't even teach the people the law. 12:34 They weren't preaching what they were suppose to be preaching. 12:37 Notice Malachi chapter 2 and verses 7 and 8. 12:40 Malachi chapter 2 verses 7 and 8. 12:44 Here, God is indicting the priesthood 12:46 with the following words, "For the lips of a priest..." 13:11 If you continue reading the book of Malachi, 13:13 you're going to notice that the people were in a 13:16 deplorable spiritual condition. 13:18 And much of the guilt was with the priests 13:21 who were not teaching and preaching what they should have, 13:24 and they were offering, as I mentioned, 13:25 lame and sick sacrifices, blind sacrifices, and so on. 13:30 So you might have expected God to say, 13:33 "Don't pay those preachers with the tithe. 13:35 They don't deserve it." 13:37 But the interesting thing is that in that very book 13:40 of Malachi, where you have all of this description 13:43 of a problematic priesthood, God had some very interesting 13:48 things to say about the tithe. 13:50 Notice Malachi chapter 3 and verse 7. 13:53 Malachi chapter 3 and verse 7. 13:57 It says here, "Yet from the days of your fathers, 14:01 you have gone away from My ordinances 14:05 and have not kept them." 14:07 And then God calls upon Israel. 14:09 He says, "'Return to Me and I will return to you,' 14:15 says the Lord of hosts. 14:17 But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'" 14:22 And now comes an interesting passage. 14:24 God is going to tell them in which way they need to return. 14:28 Incidentally, that word, "return," is the same word 14:31 that is translated, "converted," in the Old Testament. 14:35 In other words, God is calling for a true conversion experience 14:39 from His people who have made it a custom to go astray. 14:43 Now notice how God answers the question, 14:45 "In what way shall we return?" 14:48 Malachi chapter 3 and verses 8 and 9. 14:52 This is very solemn. 14:58 Is it possible to rob God? 15:00 You better believe it. 15:25 So one of the things that they weren't doing was tithing 15:29 the way that was required. 15:32 So you have a corrupt priesthood, 15:34 and you have people who are not tithing. 15:37 And perhaps they're not tithing because the 15:39 priesthood is corrupt. 15:41 But now I want you to notice what God has to say. 15:45 He doesn't say, "Don't bring your tithes to the Sanctuary. 15:49 Because those corrupt priests, you know, 15:51 they're not doing their job. 15:52 Just hang on to it." 15:53 No. 15:54 Even after talking about the apostasy of Israel, 15:57 that they were robbing God in their tithes and offerings, 15:59 notice what God had to say. 16:01 Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10. 16:28 So what does God tell His people? 16:30 Even His people who are not tithing and they have a 16:34 corrupt priesthood that is serving in the Sanctuary? 16:36 Is God saying, "Don't tithe." 16:38 No, He's saying, "You need to bring all of your tithes 16:42 and offerings to the storehouse." 16:45 Incidentally, the storehouse is a place in the temple 16:50 where the sacrifices and where the tithes were brought 16:55 and they were stored in order to pay the Levites 16:58 for their service. 16:59 Notice 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and verse 20 on this idea that 17:03 in the house of the Lord there was a treasury. 17:05 In other words, they were to bring their tithes and offerings 17:08 to the temple, to the Sanctuary. 17:10 It says there in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and verse 20, 17:14 "Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the 17:20 house of God and over the treasuries 17:24 of the dedicated things." 17:25 The dedicated things are the holy things that Israel 17:29 brought to the Sanctuary. 17:31 And so there was a place in the Sanctuary 17:34 where the tithes were stored to remunerate the Levites 17:38 for the service that they rendered 17:40 to the children of Israel. 17:43 Now it's common for many Christians to say, 17:45 "Well Pastor Bohr, wasn't the tithe for the Old Testament? 17:50 Wasn't the tithe for Israel?" 17:52 You know it's interesting, anything that demands 17:54 a sacrifice, Christians today say, "That was for the Jews." 18:00 For example, keeping the Sabbath, they say, 18:02 "Oh, a whole day? I can't go shopping? 18:04 I can't watch basketball and I can't watch football? 18:08 No, the Sabbath was for the Jews." 18:11 And then you speak to them about healthful living; 18:13 not eating pork and shrimp and lobster, they say, 18:16 "No, no, no. That was for the Jews. 18:19 They had a different digestive system than we do." 18:23 And then you have here, "The tithe? 18:25 Returning ten percent to the Lord to show that the 18:28 Lord is the owner? 18:29 Nah, that was for Jews." 18:32 And so Christians say, "All you need to do is believe. 18:36 Don't worry about keeping the Sabbath, 18:38 don't worry about tithing, don't worry about what 18:40 you eat and what you drink. 18:42 It doesn't make any difference. 18:43 Just believe in the Lord, you and your house, 18:46 and you will be saved." 18:49 Now does the New Testament re-enact the idea that the 18:52 tithe is to go to remunerate the ministry for their 18:57 fulltime work in the cause of God? 18:59 Go with me to 1 Corinthians. 19:01 This is a very interesting passage in the 19:04 New Testament written by the apostle Paul. 19:07 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 19:09 And I believe that this is the most powerful passage 19:11 on tithing that we find in the New Testament. 19:14 1 Corinthians chapter 9, and I want to begin by reading 19:17 verses 1 to 3. 19:20 Basically, the gist of these verses is that the apostle Paul 19:23 is saying that the fruit of his labor are the Corinthians. 19:28 They're the proof that God has called him as an apostle, 19:31 that God has called him as a minister. 19:34 Let's read verses 1 to 3. 19:37 Here the apostle Paul says... 19:50 In other words, he's worked to win the 19:52 Corinthians to the gospel. 20:08 In other words, there were individuals who were criticizing 20:10 Paul saying, "You weren't called to the ministry." 20:12 Paul is saying, "The Corinthians, 20:14 the conversion of the Corinthians and their 20:16 accepting the gospel, is an evidence that I was 20:19 called as an apostle, and I was sent to them." 20:23 Now let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 20:26 and verses 4 through 6. 20:28 Now Paul is going to discuss a very thorny issue. 20:33 It seems like the apostle Paul and Barnabas were traveling. 20:37 And we know that Paul had to make tents in order to 20:40 sustain himself. 20:42 And we don't know exactly what Barnabas did. 20:44 Maybe he helped him build tents as well. 20:47 But I want you to notice what the apostle Paul has to say 20:49 in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verses 4 through 6. 20:53 Here he says... 20:58 He's talking about himself and Barnabas. 21:06 In other words, on our trips, can't we take our wives with us? 21:16 Cephas; that is Peter. 21:24 I like the way the NIV translates it, 21:27 "Is only Barnabas and I who must work for a living?" 21:32 In other words, he's saying, "Is it Barnabas and me 21:36 that cannot benefit from financial support from the 21:39 church, that we have to work in order to get financial support?" 21:44 That's what he's saying. 21:45 And then the apostle Paul argues using four different analogies 21:50 that it is necessary for those who work in preaching the gospel 21:55 to be remunerated for their spiritual work. 21:59 Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 7. 22:03 He's going to use four analogies. 22:06 He says... 22:12 Imagine the U.S. government saying, "Now you're going to 22:15 go to war, but you have to pay for your own food, 22:18 and you have to pay for your own clothes, 22:20 and you have to pay for your own lodging, 22:23 and you have to pay for your own weapons." 22:25 Oh, that would be... 22:27 Nobody would join the Army, right? 22:29 Nobody would join the armed forces. 22:31 Because when you serve in the Army, what happens? 22:35 Everything is provided, because you're working in the Army. 22:39 Or you're working in the armed forces. 22:41 And so he says, "Whoever goes to war at his own expense?" 22:45 Now that's the first example. 22:46 Second example... 22:53 Pretty logical, isn't it. 22:55 Now he gives a third analogy. 23:03 You see the three analogies? 23:04 Going to war. 23:06 The second is planting a vineyard. 23:08 And the third is tending a flock. 23:11 And then he gives the fourth analogy. 23:13 And he amplifies this one even more. 23:15 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verses 8 and 9. 23:20 He says, "Do I say these things as a mere man?" 23:24 Basically, what he's saying, "Is this merely my own 23:26 human opinion?" 23:28 Notice what he continues saying. 23:35 In other words, "The three examples that I've given, 23:37 is that my human opinion? 23:38 Are those just analogies invented, or does perhaps 23:42 the law also say the same thing that I'm telling you?" 23:46 Now notice the text that he's going to refer to; 23:48 Deuteronomy 25 and verse 4. 23:51 He continues saying in verse 9... 24:02 Why not? 24:03 Because the ox is working treading the grain, 24:06 and he has a right to what? 24:08 A right to eat of the grain. Exactly. 24:12 Now notice what it continues saying. 24:14 "Is it oxen God is concerned about?" 24:18 In other words, did God give this law because He was 24:21 so worried about oxen being able to eat because they work? 24:25 I want you to notice what he says 24:27 in 1 Corinthians 9 verse 10. 24:29 Because he's going to say, "This was written not for oxen. 24:32 This was written for us. 24:34 For those who work in the gospel." 24:37 Because, you see, an ox is a beast of burden 24:39 and he serves his master. 24:41 And so the apostle Paul is saying, "We are apostles 24:44 that preach the gospel, and we serve our Master." 24:48 So this was written not for the good of oxen alone. 24:51 It was written for those who preach the gospel. 24:53 Notice what he says in verse 10. 25:00 "Did He say this for oxen, or does He say it altogether 25:03 for our sakes?" 25:04 And then he answers his own question. 25:20 What is the apostle Paul saying here? 25:22 He's saying that an individual who preaches the gospel 25:25 should be what? 25:26 Should be remunerated, because of the work 25:29 that he performs by preaching the gospel. 25:32 Now notice 1 Corinthians 9:11-12 where he continues his argument 25:37 and he makes it very clear. 25:39 He says, "If we," that is the apostles who preach. 25:50 Are you understanding what he's saying? 25:52 In other words, "If we serve your spiritual needs, 25:55 is it too much to ask you to supply our material 25:59 or our physical needs?" 26:00 Verse 12... 26:12 Notice that it's not a privilege. 26:13 It is a what? 26:15 It is a right, according to him. 26:17 So he says in verse 12... 26:36 Now the next two verses are critically important. 26:38 Have you understood his argument so far? 26:41 Now the next two verses are really crucial, 26:43 because they deal with the Sanctuary. 26:46 And this is a series on the Sanctuary. 26:49 He's going to take what happened with the Levites 26:52 and he's going to apply it to those who preach the gospel 26:56 in New Testament times. 26:58 Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 13. 27:03 He says... 27:10 Who were the ones who ministered the holy things? 27:14 The priests, the Levites. 27:23 Is that talking about the tithes that were brought? 27:25 Absolutely. 27:26 Notice... 27:30 Who were the ones who served at the altar? 27:32 The priests. 27:39 Now listen carefully, "Even so..." 27:42 What does, "Even so," mean? 27:44 In the same way as back there. 27:48 "...the Lord has recommended..." 27:53 "...the Lord has suggested..." 27:57 It doesn't say the Lord has recommended or suggested. 28:00 It says, "The Lord has commanded..." 28:15 Is he saying that the tithe is also a New Testament principle? 28:20 He's saying very clearly that the tithe is also 28:24 a New Testament principle. 28:25 And if you continue reading, we're not going to 28:27 do it right now, you can read verses 15 through 18, 28:30 the apostle Paul basically says, "You know, I have not 28:35 asked for this right to be applied to me. 28:38 I build tents. 28:40 And the reason why is because if I receive money 28:43 for preaching the gospel, my enemies would say 28:46 that I'm in preaching for the money." 28:49 So he said, "I am a self-supporting missionary." 28:53 But he says, "That doesn't mean that all who preach the gospel 28:55 must be self-supporting missionaries." 28:58 Because he very clearly says that those who share the gospel 29:03 should live from the gospel. 29:04 And that was done from the tithe. 29:08 Now it's very interesting to notice that the book of Hebrews 29:12 tells us that the tithe, or the priesthood rather 29:17 of the Levites was abolished when Jesus died at the cross. 29:23 And so some Christians say, "Well, if the priesthood 29:25 was abolished at the cross, that must mean 29:28 that the tithing that remunerated the priests 29:32 was also done away with." 29:34 Now let's read those texts that speak about 29:37 the Levitical priesthood coming to an end. 29:40 Hebrews chapter 7 and verses 18 and 19. 29:44 Hebrews chapter 7 and verses 18 and 19. 29:48 It's comparing the New Testament system with Christ having 29:52 arrived, and the Old Testament system 29:53 of offerings and sacrifices. 29:56 Here it says... 30:02 And if you read the context, it's talking about the 30:04 commandments concerning the priests. 30:07 Not the commandments of God in Exodus 20. 30:20 When it says there, "the law," once again read the context. 30:23 It's speaking about the law of the priesthood. 30:35 So what happened with the old system, the old commandments, 30:37 having to do with the priesthood? 30:39 They were what? 30:40 They were annulled because of their weakness 30:44 and unprofitableness. 30:46 Numbers chapter 18 and verse 21 makes it very clear that 30:50 it was the Levites who were suppose to receive the tithe. 30:52 Let's read that again, because it's very important. 30:56 It says, "Behold, I have given the children of Levi..." 31:08 Now, the argument that is used by many Christians is this: 31:14 The Levitical priesthood was done away with 31:17 when Jesus died at the cross. 31:20 And because the Levitical priesthood was done away with 31:23 when Jesus died at the cross, the funds that people 31:27 were to bring to remunerate that priesthood 31:29 also were done away at the cross. 31:32 Now let me ask you, does that sound pretty logical? 31:36 It sounds very logical to me. 31:38 I don't know if it does to you. 31:40 But if the Levitical priesthood is no longer functioning 31:43 because it was done away with, then it would stand to reason 31:47 that the tithes that people brought to sustain that 31:50 priesthood no longer have to be brought. 31:54 Now, I see some eyebrows rising, and you say, 31:56 "Pastor Bohr, are you saying that we don't have to tithe?" 31:59 Not at all. 32:01 I'm using the argument that many Christians use. 32:05 But now I'm going to show you biblically that even though 32:09 the Levitical priesthood came to an end, 32:11 and there were no Levite priests anymore, 32:14 that the tithing principle still endures. 32:19 And now listen carefully to the line of reasoning 32:22 that I'm going to use. 32:23 We're going to go first of all to Genesis, and then we are 32:27 going to go to the book of Hebrews and examine 32:29 something very interesting. 32:33 Now let's go to Genesis chapter 14. 32:37 And you say, "What could Genesis 14 32:39 have to do with tithing?" 32:41 It has a lot to do with tithing. 32:44 Now, the story that we find in Genesis chapter 14 32:48 is being written or is actually taking place 32:52 500 years before the Levitical priesthood was established. 32:58 That is an important point. 33:00 It's happening between 1900 and 2000 BC. 33:06 The Levitical priesthood was established 33:07 around the year 1445 BC. 33:10 So this is about 500 years before the Levitical priesthood, 33:13 this story that we're going to take a look at, is taking place. 33:18 Now the story of Genesis chapter 14 is that four kings 33:21 allied themselves to go fight against the king of Sodom. 33:26 And of course, in Sodom, who lived? 33:29 Lot lived in Sodom. 33:30 And so these four kings joined forces, 33:34 they went to Sodom, they conquered the city. 33:38 They took captives, including Lot, 33:41 and they looted the cities and took all of the possessions 33:45 from the cities. 33:47 Now when Abraham heard about this, he said, 33:50 "I have to go and I have to rescue Lot. 33:54 And I also have to get all of those possessions back." 33:58 And so he gathered 318 choice men, very carefully chosen, 34:06 to go and battle against those four kings 34:10 to get back Lot and the loot. 34:15 Now, he was successful. 34:18 He overcame these kings. 34:21 He got Lot back. 34:23 He acquired all of the possessions back again. 34:26 And on his way back, something very interesting happened. 34:33 He met on the way a mysterious figure 34:39 that seems to appear and then disappear 34:43 from the biblical record. 34:45 The name of this individual was Melchizedek. 34:49 Let's read about this in Genesis chapter 14 and verse 18. 34:56 Very interesting that there was a priesthood 34:59 before the priesthood of Levi. 35:02 It was the priesthood of Melchizedek. 35:05 Now notice... 35:14 Isn't that interesting. 35:16 When do we use bread and wine? 35:19 We use bread and wine at communion. 35:21 This is apparently a communion service, 35:24 at least in figure or in type. 35:26 And so it says, "Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, 35:29 brought out bread and wine." 35:31 And it says, "He was the..." What? 35:34 "...the priest of Most High God." 35:38 Question, was there a priesthood before the Levitical priesthood? 35:42 There was a priesthood before the Levitical priesthood. 35:47 Now let's notice how the story continues developing. 35:49 Remember, this is happening 500 years before 35:53 the Levitical priesthood is established. 35:55 Let's go to verse 19. 35:58 It says there in verse 19, speaking about Melchizedek, 36:03 "And he blessed him..." 36:05 Melchizedek blessed Abraham. 36:21 How is the Most High spoken of? 36:24 He is the what? 36:25 He is the possessor of heaven and earth. 36:28 It means that He is the owner of heaven and earth. 36:33 Interesting that Melchizedek would introduce 36:38 the Most High God who is the possessor and owner 36:42 of everything. 36:44 Now the question is, what did Abraham do 36:47 when Melchizedek blessed him and when Melchizedek 36:51 said that he represented the Most High God, 36:53 he was a priest of the Most High God, 36:56 and that God was the possessor of heaven and earth? 37:00 What did Abraham immediately feel like he had to do? 37:05 Absolutely. 37:06 Notice what we find in Genesis chapter 14 and verse 20. 37:11 It says... 37:17 Still Melchizedek speaking. 37:23 And now speaking about Abraham... 37:31 Did Abraham recognize that because God is the possessor 37:36 of heaven and earth, he needed to return a faithful tithe 37:40 to the high priest, Melchizedek? 37:42 Absolutely. 37:44 So did the priesthood exist before the Levitical priesthood? 37:47 Yes. 37:48 Did tithing exist before the Levitical priesthood? 37:52 Absolutely. 37:54 It's not part of the Mosaic law. 37:56 It pre-dates the Mosaic law, according to Scripture. 38:01 Now, what does the priesthood of Melchizedek represent? 38:07 You know, it's interesting that Jesus was from which tribe? 38:12 He was from the tribe of Judah. 38:14 Did Jesus have a right to be High Priest if He was 38:18 from the tribe of Judah? 38:20 Absolutely not. 38:21 He had the right to be what? 38:23 King, but not Priest. 38:25 So Jesus could not be Priest, according to the order of Aaron. 38:30 Because that was the tribe of Levi. 38:32 So Jesus could not be a Priest according to the order of Aaron. 38:36 He had to be Priest from a different order. 38:39 And what order is Jesus a Priest after? 38:43 He's after the order of Melchizedek. 38:45 You see, Melchizedek gives Him the right to be a Priest, 38:49 and Judah gives Him the right to be King. 38:51 Are you with me or not? 38:53 Now, let's notice Psalm 110 and verse 4 38:58 where we find another reference to Melchizedek 39:03 and his priesthood, and how long that priesthood 39:06 was going to last. 39:07 Did the priesthood of the Levites come to an end, 39:10 yes or no? 39:11 Does the priesthood of Melchizedek ever come to an end? 39:14 No. 39:15 Notice what we find in Psalm 110 and verse 4. 39:27 A priest for how long? 39:29 Forever, according to the order of Aaron. 39:32 No. According to the order of who? 39:35 Of Melchizedek. 39:37 The question is, in whom is this psalm fulfilled, 39:40 and with whom? 39:42 Go with me to Hebrews chapter 6 verses 19 and 20. 39:46 Hebrews chapter 6 and verses 19 and 20. 39:50 Here, the apostle Paul, whom I believe to be 39:53 behind the book of Hebrews, says this, 39:56 "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, 40:01 both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence 40:06 behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, 40:11 even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the 40:18 order of Melchizedek." 40:22 Notice another reference. 40:23 There are many references to this same verse, 40:25 Psalm 110 and verse 4, in Hebrews. 40:27 But let's read only one more. 40:29 Hebrews 7 and verse 17. 40:33 Speaking about Jesus, it says... 40:44 So you have the priesthood of Levi, which received tithes. 40:49 And that priesthood came to an end. 40:52 But you have another priesthood, which is the priesthood of 40:55 Melchizedek, and that priesthood lasts forever. 41:00 Was there tithing under both priesthoods? 41:04 Yes, there was tithing under the priesthood of Aaron, 41:07 which came to an end. 41:08 But there was also tithing under the priesthood of whom? 41:12 Of Melchizedek. 41:14 So is the tithe principle something that pre-dates 41:18 the Levitical system? 41:20 Is it something that we need to do forever? 41:23 Absolutely, because the priesthood of Christ is forever. 41:27 Now, the argument of Hebrews 7 is very tricky. 41:32 So allow me to just go through this. 41:35 I'm going to go through it slowly so that 41:37 you can understand it. 41:40 If you read Hebrews 7 verses 4 through 10... 41:43 This is the line of argument. 41:44 We don't usually argue this way in our world today. 41:48 But this is inspired Scripture, and we can trust it. 41:52 Basically, the idea is this: 41:54 Melchizedek was greater than Abraham 41:58 for two reasons. 41:59 Number one, Melchizedek was greater than Abraham 42:02 because Abraham blessed him. 42:05 And the one who blesses is greater than the 42:07 one who is blessed. 42:08 That's number one. 42:10 Number two, Melchizedek is greater than Abraham 42:14 because Abraham gave Melchizedek the tithes. 42:18 Are you understanding this? 42:20 So in two ways Melchizedek is greater than Abraham. 42:23 Number one, because Melchizedek blessed Abraham; 42:27 and the one who blesses is greater. 42:29 And number two is that Melchizedek received the 42:34 tithes from Abraham, and not the other way around. 42:37 Now, listen carefully. 42:40 Was Levi a descendent of Abraham? 42:44 Sure, Levi was the son of whom? 42:47 The son of Jacob. And Jacob was the son of whom? 42:51 The son of Isaac. And Isaac was the son of whom? 42:54 The son of Abraham. 42:56 Now listen carefully to the line of argument. 42:59 Levi was in the loins of Abraham, because he's a 43:04 descendent of Abraham, when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. 43:10 Now we don't usually argue that way, but that's the 43:12 way that the argument goes. 43:14 See, because Levi descends from Abraham, 43:17 when Abraham gave Melchizedek the tithes, 43:20 Levi was giving the tithes to Melchizedek. 43:23 So whose priesthood is greater? 43:25 The priesthood of Melchizedek. 43:27 But the argument continues. 43:29 Therefore, when Abraham gave the tithe to Melchizedek, 43:33 Levi was giving the tithe to Melchizedek 43:36 through the instrumentality of Abraham. 43:39 Because the Levites gave the tithes to Melchizedek 43:43 through Abraham, and Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek, 43:47 the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than the priesthood 43:50 of the Levites. 43:53 Were you able to follow that? 43:55 A very important line of argument. 43:57 And so, the tithe today is still binding. 44:03 Because there is a priesthood that is greater 44:05 than the priesthood of the Levites. 44:08 It's still a priesthood. 44:09 It's the priesthood of Christ. 44:12 And there is also tithing in connection with it 44:15 because Melchizedek, in the Old Testament, received what? 44:19 He received the tithes. 44:20 So is the tithe principle still binding for Christians today? 44:25 It most certainly is still binding. 44:27 Not necessarily according to the order of Aaron, 44:31 but according to the order of whom? 44:33 According to the order of Melchizedek, 44:36 which is a greater priesthood than the priesthood of Levi. 44:41 Now let me talk a little bit about the tithe 44:43 in practical terms. 44:45 Fresno Central Church receives approximately 44:48 1.2 million dollars in tithe per year. 44:52 But Fresno Central Church does not hang on to one penny 44:57 of those 1.2 million. 44:59 All of the 1.2 million goes to our central office in Clovis. 45:05 And the money is used to remunerate all of the pastors 45:09 in the central California area. 45:12 And some of you are probably thinking, you're saying, 45:14 "Ha, foul. 45:17 You know, if we have enough tithe to pay for ten pastors, 45:20 why do we only have two pastors paid by conference funds?" 45:24 Well let me tell you why. 45:26 And I'm not complaining about this. 45:28 It's because other churches don't have enough tithe funds 45:32 to pay for a pastor. 45:34 And so the churches that have more income as tithe, 45:39 they help the smaller churches so that the smaller churches 45:42 can have pastoral help. 45:43 Isn't that magnanimous? 45:45 Isn't that God's plan? 45:47 For the strong to help the weak? 45:51 And so Fresno Central Church does not retain one penny 45:55 of the tithe. 45:56 You say, "Well, how does the church function then?" 45:59 Let me ask you, can we rob God in offerings also? 46:05 Let me read you once again Malachi chapter 3 and verse 8. 46:09 Very important verse. 46:24 Now you're saying, "If Fresno Central 46:26 doesn't get to keep any of its tithe, 46:30 how does the church run financially?" 46:33 Well let me say that our church has a budget, 46:36 a yearly budget, of approximately 300,000 dollars. 46:40 That's our yearly budget at Fresno Central Church. 46:43 But we can't use the tithe for that because the tithe 46:46 does not stay here. 46:48 We have to pay things such as, let me give you a list: 46:51 Utilities, insurance, newsletter, telephone, 46:54 evangelistic materials, phone, office secretary, custodial, 46:58 grounds, photocopy, Sabbath School supplies, flowers, 47:02 youth ministries, pathfinders, Vacation Bible School, 47:05 community services, repairs, school subsidy, 47:08 tuition assistance, departmental expenses, 47:11 among other things. 47:12 So the question is, how can Fresno Central 47:15 function financially if we don't get to keep any of the tithe? 47:19 The answer is simply that there's a little line 47:22 on your tithe envelope that says, "Church Budget." 47:25 And that money all stays at Fresno Central Church. 47:29 Every penny that you give for church budget stays at 47:32 Fresno Central Church and it's distributed among all of those 47:36 things that I mentioned to pay for the expenses 47:40 of Fresno Central Church. 47:42 So when you've returned your tithe, 47:44 you haven't given a penny. 47:46 Because that's not yours anyway. 47:49 The tithe belongs to the Lord. 47:50 We don't pay tithe, we return tithe. 47:53 It comes through our fingers and we return it to God. 47:57 In other words, we're not being generous by returning the tithe. 48:01 Because the tithe isn't ours in the first place. 48:03 Are you following me? 48:05 It's in the offerings where we show our gratitude 48:09 and our thankfulness to God. 48:11 Particularly when we sustain the ministry of our church. 48:16 Now Fresno Central has perennially been behind 48:19 in its church budget. 48:21 Sometimes when we get to the month of October, November, 48:24 our treasurer doesn't have any fingernails left. 48:27 Because he's been chewing at his fingernails. 48:29 The same as our finance committee chair. 48:31 I always tell them, "We live by faith, not by fright." 48:36 And every year for the last 15 years 48:39 we've operated in the black. 48:40 I say, "Don't worry about it. 48:41 God's people will come through." 48:43 Because lots of people settle their accounts 48:45 at the end of the year. 48:46 But we really shouldn't have to function that way. 48:49 If everybody in the church contributed a certain percentage 48:54 of their income, not only the ten percent of tithe, 48:56 but a certain percentage of their income to church budget, 48:59 we would never be behind. 49:01 We would be in the black all throughout 49:04 the course of the year. 49:05 But we have a tendency to procrastinate and 49:08 we have other priorities other than the priority 49:12 of the house of God, of the church. 49:14 Now allow me to say a few things about offerings. 49:17 God wants us to be disciplined givers. 49:22 He doesn't want us to do like many people do 49:24 when they see the elder get up and say, 49:27 "And now it's time to pick up the tithes and offerings. 49:29 Would the deacons please stand." 49:31 So, "Oh, it's offering time." 49:34 And so you look for coins or you look for a dollar or two, 49:38 and put it in the offering plate. 49:39 That is undisciplined giving. 49:42 God does not want us to give in that way. 49:45 He wants us to be planned givers. 49:48 Now go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verses 1 and 2. 49:52 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verses 1 and 2. 49:56 Here we have four principles that I want to share with you 49:59 concerning giving. 50:00 And you know, most Christians use this to try and prove 50:02 that Sunday is the day we're suppose to keep. 50:05 It's not teaching that at all. 50:06 It's teaching four principles of giving. 50:09 Notice what it says. 50:10 Here, the apostle Paul says... 50:19 It's not only the case of the Corinthians. 50:23 He also spoke to other churches. 50:28 Now notice, "On the first day of the week..." 50:31 That means, regularly. 50:32 That's the first principle; regularly. 50:35 "On the first day of the week..." 50:37 That would be the first opportunity that they 50:39 would have after working on Friday and resting on the 50:42 Sabbath to calculate how much money they had 50:44 earned the week before. 50:45 So it says, "On the first day of the week..." 50:47 That is, regularly. 50:48 "...let each one of you..." 50:50 That's the second principle; individually. 50:52 Each one of you. 50:54 "...lay something aside..." 50:57 Principle number three; privately. 51:00 Don't come to church and be an emergency giver. 51:03 Do it at home and then bring it to the church. 51:07 And then it continues saying, 51:08 "...storing up as he many prosper..." 51:11 That's proportionately. 51:13 The way that God has blessed you. 51:14 So four principles; regularly, individually, privately at home, 51:21 and proportionately. 51:22 And he says, "That there be no collections when I come." 51:26 In other words, "So I don't have to stand and twist arms 51:29 and beg you to give money when I come. 51:32 If you do this on a regular basis, and you do it 51:35 individually, and you do it proportionately, 51:38 and you do it regularly, when I come the money will be there. 51:42 And I'll receive the money to help the saints 51:45 who are needy in Jerusalem." 51:47 Are you understanding the principles? 51:49 It's just a matter of making up our minds, folks, 51:52 that we're going to sit down and we're going to say, 51:53 "Okay, I'm going to give such and such a percentage 51:56 of my income for church budget." 51:59 Tithe; non-negotiable. 52:00 That is not ours. 52:02 You know, we just decide to return that to the Lord. 52:04 But in offerings, we need to pray about it and we need to 52:07 sit down and ask the Lord, "What have You done for me? 52:10 Well, You've given me everything. 52:11 You're a wonderful God. 52:12 So let me return to You in offerings according to 52:17 what You have done for me." 52:19 And then pray to God and ask God to reveal to you 52:22 what percentage you should put in for church budget. 52:25 Are you following me? 52:27 Now notice what we find in 2 Corinthians chapter 9 52:30 verses 6 and 7. 52:31 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verses 6 and 7. 52:36 It says here, and this is a very important principle. 52:39 If you plant one corn seed, how many ears of corn 52:44 are you going to get? 52:46 One, or perhaps two. Right? 52:51 One seed; small harvest. 52:54 What happens if you plant hundreds of seeds? 52:57 You're going to harvest hundreds of ears of corn. 53:00 That's just a principle. 53:01 What you sow, you what? You reap. 53:04 Now notice this. 53:22 See, it's a decision of the heart first. 53:24 See, God never asks us for our money. 53:27 God asks for our heart. 53:29 And when He has our heart, He has our money. 53:35 Are you following me? 53:36 That's why Jesus said, "Where a man's treasure is, 53:40 that is where his heart will be also." 53:44 And so notice what he continues saying in verse 7. 53:47 "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, 53:50 not grudgingly or of necessity." 53:55 That means, by compulsion or by obligation. 53:58 "For God loves a cheerful giver." 54:03 Let me read you this statement from Ellen White, 54:05 Testimonies for the Church, volume 1, page 545. 54:08 She says, listen carefully, 54:10 "God wants no unwilling offering, no pressed sacrifice. 54:17 Those who are thoroughly converted 54:21 and who appreciate the work of God..." 54:23 Two conditions; thoroughly converted, 54:25 and appreciate the work of God. 54:27 "...will give cheerfully the little required of them, 54:32 considering it a privilege to bestow." 54:36 Don't think that offerings is an obligation, 54:38 "Oh, I've got to give an offering because if I don't, 54:41 God is going to curse me." 54:43 Listen, we don't give in order to be blessed. 54:46 We give; and as a result we are blessed. 54:49 We don't give to earn the favor of God, 54:51 but we give and God says, "Oh, here's a bonus for you." 54:55 Luke 6 and verse 38. 54:57 Luke chapter 6 and verse 38. 55:00 Here once again, we find the same principle expressed. 55:21 So as we give, we receive in return. 55:25 That is a principle of life. 55:29 Allow me to read in closing one more statement that we find 55:32 in Proverbs chapter 3 and verses 9 and 10. 55:35 Proverbs chapter 3 verses 9 and 10. 55:39 It says here... 55:48 And now notice the promise. 56:01 The only way that you know that this is true is if you try it. 56:05 God says, "Test Me now. Try Me now. 56:08 Give it a whirl." 56:09 You know, this year our salary in Central California Conference 56:14 for pastors was decreased three percent 56:16 because of the economy. 56:18 So you know the decision that I made? 56:19 I said, "Lord, my salary has been decreased three percent. 56:22 I'm going to increase my church budget by three percent." 56:26 And the Lord has blessed immensely. 56:29 More than I could ever tell you. 56:32 And so let's not use the excuse, "Oh, the economy is bad. 56:35 I just don't have it." 56:38 We have to buy pizza. 56:40 Right? 56:41 And to buy clothing and things that we don't need. 56:44 Toys, etcetera. 56:45 It's just a matter of priorities. 56:48 It's a matter of what is most important in our lives. 56:51 It's a matter of what comes first. 56:54 And those who make Jesus Christ first and last and best 56:58 are the happiest people in the world. 57:00 So I would pray that as we've studied this, 57:03 this isn't only academic. 57:04 "Okay, we need to return the tithe 57:06 to remunerate the preacher. 57:08 And we need to also give offerings in order to 57:11 sustain the church." 57:12 But that this will be a priority and we'll say, 57:14 "Church is important to us. 57:15 The preaching of the gospel is important to us." 57:18 This has to be the number one priority 57:21 as we order our finances on this earth. |
Revised 2014-12-17