Tithes - Offerings - Alms
Tithes are directed to the Storehouse
It is the foundation of giving and the starting point for believers as an act of trust. It is often called “first-fruits” (Proverbs 3:9-10). It is the first and best of what we have. God tells us to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). As God’s people, we bring the tithe into the storehouse; often referred as the local church (Malachi 3:10), so that God’s house will be amply supplied for basic needs. In fact the Lord says the tithe belongs to Him (Leviticus 27:30). We acknowledge that everything belongs to the Lord and that He has made us stewards to manage the wealth that He has given us power to make (Deuteronomy 8:18). We give to Caesar (government) what belongs to it (i.e. taxes), but to God which belongs to God, (Matthew 22:21). We do not own anything. We are merely stewards of God’s resources in our care (1 Peter 4:10). Since the tithe is a base one-tenth (Genesis 14:20), it is easy to calculate whether there is an increase or decrease in income. God assigned the tithes to supply three things: for Ministers (priests), the poor, and maintenance for the house of worship. Priests who were recipients of the tithe to live on (eat, clothe, etc), were not personally exempt from tithing. In fact they were to give back one-tenth out of the tenth they had received (Numbers 18:26). In modern times, every follower of Christ is a priest, and has been placed in the spiritual priesthood, to pray, serve and give. Therefore, nobody is exempt.
Offerings are directed by the Spirit
This level of giving is above or beyond the tithe. It has been said in worship services “let us give back to God a portion, His tithes and Our offerings.” This is also known as “grace-giving”, an offering initiated by the Holy Spirit. And it is grace that enables the giver to live generously and give up luxuries for the necessities of others. Compared to the tithe (required by the Lord), an offering is given out of the remaining amount after the tithe. It is often sacrificial (1 Chron 21:24). It is usually collected for a special purpose in the church. Sometimes it pledged in a capital campaign, and is usually given to a designated fund. These funds in the local church setting are often raised to supply a need outside of the church’s general budget. Offerings of this type are encouraged to be regularly set aside and consistent by the giver. They are directed by the Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit who burdens the heart to respond to meet needs. A great explanation of this is found in 2 Corinthians 8:10-15 and 9:6-12.
Alms are directed for Sponsorship
Alms in the Greek language infers a benefactor, and consequently a recipient or beneficiary. A beneficiary is someone who receives support or resources that they cannot acquire on their own. For instance, someone that God has called to serve on the mission field overseas may not have the ability to raise all the money needed to go. Or a teen that God is drawing or leading to go to a summer Youth Camp, may not have the ability to raise enough money in time, needs help. In either case, the recipient asks the saints for help (i.e. “sponsor”). The collection of such alms is done discretely with dignity and privacy. It may be announced publicly by the church Elders, but collection requires a private response to avoid self-glory of the benefactor and to avoid embarrassment of the recipient. A great explanation of this is found in Matthew 6:1-4.
Clarifying the Confusion
Giving is Worship
In both the Old and New Testaments, tithes and offerings are all centered around worship of the Lord. Abel brought an acceptable first fruits offering. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek (pre-incarnate Christ), 400 years before the Law was given. Tithes and offerings were explained in the Old Testament, and both were endorsed by Jesus in the New Testament. See Genesis 14:17-23 and Hebrew 7:4-6.
Maximum over Minimum
Jesus Followers are empowered to live beyond just giving the minimum. Grace-giving is making 100% of our resources available for God, not just a small portion. We bring our first and our best to the Lord. It is often argued that the tithe is only in the law, and Christians are not under the law, but under grace. That is a good argument, but to that point, grace is not a license to for disobedience or to evade responsibility. Grace is God enabling His followers to serve, pray, give and live the Christian life. God grants us and calls us to live above the minimum requirements of the law, but to the maximum excellence that allows God to use all that we have (not just one-tenth of what have, but ten-tenths). We are not called to hold back from the holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11), but to live life to the fullest, with an open hand, not a closed fist. Grace giving is exercised cheerfully, regularly and even sacrificially.
Law vs Love
The Ten Commandments tells us to put God first, avoid idolatry, including a love for money and materialism (1 Timothy 6:10), and even warns against stealing (Exodus 20:15, Malachi 3:8). If the Ten Commandments are a list of parameters of what God forbids, it also proclaims what God permits. It forbids stealing (including taking what belongs to God), but also permits the believer to live the opposite, by not being a taker, hoarder or manipulator, but to be a generous giver. Conclusively, tithing is not really about keeping the law, but practicing love. We love God and live generously by our obedience to God. Obeying God’s commands to tithe, is an act of loving God. For Jesus said “if you love me, obey me” (John 14:15). God established the tithe prior to the law, included in the law, and affirmed by Jesus who fulfilled the law (and in the New Testament Church). And it is God who writes His Law on the believer’s heart and mind. And the sum of those laws (internal operation, not external orders), is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Luke 10:27). In fact, Jesus confronted the Pharisees for their lack of compassion, but they rigorously tithed everything (Matthew 23:23). They lacked love. To give all our possessions yet lack love in doing so, does not profit us (1 Corinthians 13:3).
Tithing treasure, time and talents
Tithing in the Bible is always associated with giving a monetary or physical resource; never time or talents. For example, our boss at work does not pay us for forty hours, and only expect four hours of real work or to only use one-tenth of our ability to get the job done. For tithing, people sometimes say that their tithe is giving time to church. But on a practical level, that means that if they were doing a minimum, they would volunteer 16.8 hours per week. But in reality, tithing, offerings and alms are all tied to monetary value. God does not need our money, but He knows that our economic systems uses financial instruments for trade, buying and selling, daily living, and yes, supplying needs in the body of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:14-15).
External Fundraisers: Sales and other forms of support
It is vital to note that when it comes to acquiring financial resources for God’s work, He never had His people in the Bible, go to the world to ask for money. Nor does He mandate it today! When God had His people build a tabernacle in the wilderness, He told them to raise an offering as every heart moved them to give to the supplies needed to build (Exodus 25:1-8).
God always asked His own people to be obedient in giving financially. In the Bible, He never asked His people to have outside sales to raise money. The Psalmist said that he has never seen anyone one of God’s anointed begging for bread (Psalm 37:25). God never asks the lost world for money. When God’s people beg the world for financial support it is essentially asking outsiders to be obedient for them. They are proclaiming that they are not willing themselves to tithe, thus they want someone to tithe for them. Second, when the Church asks the world for money, it is sending a message that they either do not have enough faith for God to provide or He is inadequate to supply their need according to His riches (Philippians 4:19). God’s people do not have to rely on rummage or bake sales to supply needs for the church. Sometimes groups inside the church will have something to offer the church body to donate to in exchange for something, which simply is asking God’s people to help supply the need. Many disciples in the book of Acts, individually were selling property (real estate or possessions) and bringing the full proceeds or portions to the church for the Apostles to distribute (Acts 4:32-37). This was never prompted by the Apostles, but by the Holy Spirit who moved in the hearts of God’s people to give. The Apostles never had to have a capital campaign, but relied on the Spirit who knew ahead of time what the church needed. God’s people were simply responding to the prompting of the Spirit.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO GIVE
We believe that God gives us the power to make wealth. We are responsible to Him for the faithful use of His money and resources He entrusts us with. He expects us to be generous as His Followers and to give by faith. We preach and practice First Fruits giving in which we declare that God promises that He will bless those who obediently give in this manner.
We believe that freewill offerings (grace giving) are over and above the tithe. We encourage everyone who calls Momentum Church their faith family to contribute faithfully and regularly to the vision of helping people find momentum for their life.
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