THE CHALLENGE
BAPTISM Legend has it crusaders would be baptized with their arm and sword remaining out of the water, in essence saying I might be saved but I’m still hood with my enemies tho.
→ Some of us got baptized while still holding up our wallet! I’m all-in for Jesus–as long as it doesn’t cost me financially.
I want you to be a fully mature Christian. We’re not hear to tickle ears and give good vibes by entertaining Christians. We’re here to form you deeply and spiritually with God’s Word into mature disciples of Jesus.
What kind of character do you want to model for your kids? What kind of faith? A half-hearted, partial faith, that makes excuses and lacks integrity?
Money is one of the touchiest subjects in church.
→ OFTEN THE HARD THING AND THE RIGHT THING ARE THE SAME THING.
One of the hardest seasons of my life was in regards to money. I was working multiple part time jobs. Two little kids under two. I was starting out in ministry. I’ll never forget seeing zero in my bank account with the increasing bills and rolling into the bad part of town to give my plasma. You could get $60 for a bog or so of your plasma. I sat down. They stuck the needle in. And I listened to a leadership book called Hungry Humble Hustle.
Non-Christian: they really believe—not a church of the half convinced—Jesus must be worth everything and believ!
Christian who tithes: encouraged and spurred in
Christian who gives but not tithe: experience the blessing of tithing
Christian who neither: I want you to test God’s promise of blessing
01. TITHING IS BIBLICAL.
Malachi 3:8–12 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. [9] You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. [10] Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house…
The verb qābaʿ (“to rob”) is rare—only here and in Proverbs 22:23—and implies violent defrauding, not petty theft.
Have you ever been robbed?
Someone stole the stereo system out of my car. They broke my window, dirtied the seats and broke the entire frame of the car. It didn’t belong to them. I bought the car from my brother who had installed it. I looked up the system and it turned out to be worth $1K. I felt violated. Have you ever felt like that?
The people’s defense (“How have we robbed You?”) continues the dialogue pattern seen throughout Malachi. Each time, their question exposes spiritual blindness.
WHAT IS A TITHE?
01. Tithe = Tenth (10%) מַעֲשֵׂר (ma‘ăśēr) You can’t tithe 4%, you can give that. But you can only tithe 10% because tithe means 10%.
02. The tithe was the tenth portion owed to support Levites (Num 18:21–24).
03. We don’t own the tithe, God does.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND OF TITHING
When Abraham’s first encounter with a priest, he gives a tithe to Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:20)
The Mosaic law commanded a tithe and called it holy. (Leviticus 27:30-32)
Proverbs says that giving firstfruits is the way to honor God with your wealth. (Proverbs 3:9-10)
Proverbs says that those who give generously tend to have more to give generously. (Proverbs 11:24-25)
When renewal happens under Hezekiah and Nehemiah, it leads to tithing. (2 Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35-38)
When God confronts his unbelieving people, he tells them to “stop robbing him” and tithe. (Malachi 3:6-10)
NEW TESTAMENT BASIS FOR TITHING
Jesus Acknowledges the Practice (Matthew 23:23 / Luke 11:42)
Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Jesus affirms that tithing (“the others”) shouldn’t be neglected, even while rebuking legalistic giving. He assumes the practice but calls for transformed motives.
Abraham’s Example Before the Law (Hebrews 7:1–2)
Hebrews 7:1–2 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem... met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.
The writer points back to Abraham’s tithe (Genesis 14:20) as a pre-Law pattern of worship and honor toward God — grounding tithing in faith, not legalism.
The Principle of Proportionate Giving (1 Corinthians 16:2)
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper…
02. TITHING BUILDS YOU.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Giving is a spiritual thermometer gauging the heat of our relationship with God.
Luke 3:10–14
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” [11] And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” [12] Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” [13] And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” [14] Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
John the baptist says evidence of your relationship is demonstrated through what we do with money.
Giving is evidence of true heart change.
Luke 19:8–9 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” [9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
Jesus is not saying he’s saved because he is giving but he’s giving because he is actually saved.
Stephen South: “All I knew was to give and it became the biggest blessing in my life.”
03. TITHING INVITES GOD’S BLESSING.
It’s life-giving and joyful. The call to tithe is good news!
Malachi 3:10–12 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. [11] I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. [12] Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
This is a promise of blessing. It opens God’s hands of blessing to you.
If you give to me I am going to keep channeling blessing to you. But if stops on you my windows might just stay shut.
Sea of Galilee VS Dead Sea
Galilee is full of life, vegetation, and teeming with fish why? Because it receives water but also has water flowing out of it. The dead sea has zero life. You float in dead sea because of the mineral build up. The Dead Sea has a salinity around 34%, nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. Why? Because everything flows into the dead sea but nothing flows out of it.
Proverbs 11:24–25
[24] One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
[25] Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
Tithing God is trusting God. It’s saying I trust God to do better with my 90% than I would do on my own with 100%. Better yet it’s the belief that 90% WITH the anointing of God is better than 100% without God’s anointing.
We need to challenge, self-centered, immature American Christianity.
3S Giving vs. 3P Giving
AMERICAN GIVING
Spontaneous
Sporadic
Sparing
CHRISTIAN GIVING
Priority
Percentage
Progressing
Objection 01: This is legalism!
In the Old Testament it’s taught. But in the New Testament it’s assumed.
RANDY ALCORN
I’ve heard Christians argue—often angrily—that tithing is legalism… However, the average American Christian gives 2.5%. Even using 10% as a measure, the Israelites were four times more responsive to the Law of Moses than the average American Christian is to the grace of Christ… When we as New Testament believers, living in a far more affluent society than ancient Israel, give only a fraction of that given by the poorest Old Testament believers, we surely must reevaluate our concept of ‘grace giving.’ And when you consider that we have the indwelling of the Spirit of God and they didn't, the contrast becomes even more glaring… If you fear legalism, fine, start at 11 or 12 percent.
03. The 90-Day Tithe Challenge
Why should I tithe?
It’s commanded in Scripture. (Leviticus 27:30-32, Num 18:21–24, Malachi 3:6-10)
Jesus says that your heart follows your treasure. (Matthew 6:21)
God promises it comes with a blessing (Malachi 3:10-12)
Who is this challenge for?
You’re new to The Garden.
You didn’t know about this biblical command.
You knew the command but resisted. (I appreciate the raw and realness!)
You knew but haven’t updated in while.
You already give but didn’t have the theology for 10%.
→ Everyone grab the card and the pen!
Objection 02: I can’t afford this!
Could it be that finances are hard because you’ve never trusted God with your money?
My story.
Tithing is Hard
But a lot of times, the hard thing and the right thing are the same thing.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.