Question: Why should I give “tithes and offerings?"

Question: Help me understand why I should give “tithes and offerings.” 

And why do you have this part of the service after the sermon?  

Pastor Bill responds:    

Tithes are 10% of a person’s gross income.  I’d rather address that separately - so we’ll do that next week.  Let’s just discuss “giving” this week.            

The whole of the Christian life is giving - not in order that we might “be saved” (that is, delivered from sin, guilt, and misery), but because we are saved by the gift of Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel, and freely given to us by grace through faith (see Ephesians 2:8,9). Our giving of our financial gifts is an expression of thanks to God for “His unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15 - Read both chapters 8 and 9 in II Corinthians for a very full statement of the importance of Christian giving). 

That weekly giving as part of our corporate worship is also a regular reminder - by way of giving a portion of our livelihood - that the whole of our lives are devoted to God.   That’s why it’s fitting that the giving of our financial offerings comes after the sermon - it’s a picture of our response to the message of Christ’s giving Himself for us.            

Your financial gifts (given in response to God’s lavish gifts to you) are also used for the very holy purpose of paying the bills to maintain and develop this ministry - above all by paying a minister an adequate salary so that he can serve fully as your pastor!.   Once the church becomes what we call a “particular church”, i.e a church with its own eldership and a formal membership roll, the congregation will approve a budget each year. (Our budget for this year is $70,000).  Church members help to fulfill this commitment by their financial gifts. Others give as a way of showing appreciation for The Haven, OPC and for its ministry.   

Another reason to give - and we shouldn’t be embarrassed about this - is that we want to be blessed ourselves!   It is, indeed, more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).  God loves to show His generosity to those who are generous in His Name.  “Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, it will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). 

Whether speaking of your whole life in service as a gift to God, or whether speaking of your financial gifts as a specimen of that whole life, it is very true that “God will be a debtor to no man.”  Give generously, and you’ll find out for yourself!