Daily Dose of the Word of God - Malachi 3: 10-12

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:12 

Good morning friends and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church and it's Thursday, October 31 (sometimes known as Halloween or All Saints Day!). We are in the Hearts Ablaze campaign season, a time in which by God's grace, new sparks are ignited in us for the things of God. Today's reading is from the prophet Malachi chapter 3, verses 10 through 12.

Gregg DeMey  0:37 

"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. 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. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

Gregg DeMey 1:06 

Against the background of Malachi chapter 3 on this Halloween Thursday, I can't help but imagine the Lord Almighty himself going to his people as a divine trick or treater. And sadly in Malachi, God's people has mostly tricks for their Lord. Now here in North America, I've heard many Christians ask this question: "Does the Bible Really tell me that I have to tithe like those people back in Malachi chapter 3?"Sometimes pastors and church leaders have used this very passage from Malachi as a proof text that yes, God's Word says that you have to tithe. Well, not so fast. There's relatively little value in half dues when it comes to a mature spiritual life. Obligation really stinks as a spiritual motivation, unless you actively need correction because you're resisting God or you're functionally disobedient and need discipline. Gratitudeas a motivation, is really where it's at - not tricks, only the treats of grace and kindness.

Gregg DeMey  2:11 

The question, "do I have to tithe?" is a misguided obligation oriented question. It's in God's nature to be self giving and we want to become more like him, don't we? Tithing is God's way to save us from ourselves, save us from being consumed by the death spiral of consumerism, making ourselves the target of all things comfortable and material. Tithing (or the giving of the first 10% of the fruits of your work back to God) is a genius idea for a couple reasons. Number one, it's easy to do the math. Almost everybody can figure out 10% of whatever it is that they have. And secondly, 10% is big enough to catch our attention. It's enough to require intention and sacrifice, no matter how little or much you happen to have.

Gregg DeMey  3:02 

This Sunday in worship, you are going to hear about the self-giving nature of God and a common sense 80/10/10 rule as a way of leaning into imitating God's self-giving nature. The 80/10/ 10 rule goes like this: the first 10% of what we have, we give it back to God. The second 10% we save it wisely, and the remaining 80% we live off and steward it. Here's what I know: when people act according to that common sense rule and give away what's first and best, it opens up the receptors in our life, in our heart, in our soul, to the God who is self-giving. When we're connected to God's self-giving nature, what a blessed state of affairs that is.

Gregg DeMey  3:48 
 
Let's pray. God, we thank you for your sacrificial and self-giving nature and love for us shown perfectly in Jesus, who gave it all and paid it all on our behalf today. God, I want to say thank you with my Life. Help me do it for Jesus' sake, amen.