IPHC Stewardship Ministries Sermon

(Sermon outline by the late Bishop B.E. Underwood.)

INTRODUCTION: Contrasting Attitudes

A. Blessing or Burden?

1. The world says tithes and offerings are burdens.
2. Jesus says tithes and offerings are a blessing. Acts 20:35 – I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

B. Divestment or Investment?

1. The world says that tithes and offerings take from your wealth.
2. Jesus says that tithes and offerings add to your wealth – they are indeed investments. Matthew 6:19-21 – Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is , there will your heart be also.
Ownership or Stewardship?
3. The world says that all we possess belongs to us.
4. The Bible teaches that we are only stewards and that everything belongs to God. Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35 – And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were possessors of the land or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

C. God finances His kingdom on earth through tithes and offerings, but His children must adopt His philosophy for this financial plan to work.

I. THE BLESSINGS OF TITHING

A. Tithing is an act of obedience to God. – Leviticus 27-30 – And all of the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord.
B. Tithing acknowledges God’s ownership and our stewardship. Psalm 24:1, I Corinthians 6:19-20 – The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
C. Tithing proves our love. II Corinthians 8:8-9 – I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
D. Tithing proves God’s providential power. Malachi 3:10 – (“prove me”) – Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
E. Tithing opens the windows of heaven. Malachi 3:10 – (“open the windows of heaven”) – SEE ABOVE.
F. Tithing rebukes the devourer. Malachi 3:11 – (“rebuke the devourer”) – And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
G. Tithing feeds God’s servants. Malachi 3:10 – (“food in my house”) …that there may be meat in mine house…

II. THE BREADTH OF TITHING

A. Every Christian tithes into the local church.
* The tithes in the local church are primarily for the support of the local church ministries.
B. Every licensed and ordained minister tithes into his conference.
* The tithes of the ministers are primarily for the support of the Conference Superintendent and other ministering personnel on the Conference level.
C. Every local church tithes into the general tithe.
* The general tithe is primarily for the global ministries of the entire denomination – missions, evangelism, education, etc.
D. Every conference tithes into the general treasury.
* The tithe of the ministers’ tithes is primarily for the support of the general leaders who are ministering to the denomination.

III. THE BIBLICAL METHOD OF TITHING

A. “The Whole Tithe” – Jehovah was not pleased with the partial tithes of his people – He said, “Bring the WHOLE TITHES into the storehouse.”

1. There must be no effort to avoid tithing.
2. The desire should be to tithe on ALL OF HIS BLESSINGS.

B. The Storehouse

1. Every believer should identify his “storehouse.”
2. Israel brought their tithes to the Levites. – Nehemiah 10: 35-39 – And to bring the first fruits of our ground, and the first fruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord; Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings o four herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God; and that we should bring the first fruits o four dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers unto the treasure house. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers; and we will not forsake the house of our God.
3. The Levites tithed to the priests. – Numbers 18: 25-28 - And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying , Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof, the Lord’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.
4. Everyone recognizes the spiritual authority of those over him in the Lord.
5. What about the IPHC?
* The church member’s storehouse is the local church.
* The local church’s storehouse in the General Treasury.
* The conference’s storehouse in the treasury that supports the General Leadership who minister to the conferences and the ministers.

C. The Priority of the Tithe

1. Tithes take precedence over offerings – God does expect both tithes AND offerings, but the tithe comes first.
2. In the local church the tithe should come before the building fund or other additional offerings.
3. In the conference, the minister’s tithe should be the priority. Pastors and evangelists may give offerings in addition to their tithe, but never instead of tithing.
4. At every level the tithe should be the foundation for all other giving.