Our Church Has Been Robbed

Yes, our church was robbed yesterday! Even criminals at one time use to have a standard of morals where they would not steal from the church. This is news that I hate to report however I think it is best that you know. The robbery did not happen during the night but it appears to have happened during broad daylight! Not only did the robbery happen during the day when it was easier to be caught, but our sources tell us that it was an inside job. Can you believe that one of our own church members would steal from the church?

The truth of the matter is, our church is robbed every Sunday. This isn't just an epidemic with our church but it is an epidemic with your church as well! The average American Christian only gives 2.5% back to God! (Stats)  Also, in case you haven't figured it out by now, our church wasn't robbed yesterday in the way that you might have thought. It was robbed by Christians not giving their tithes to God!

“Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!” You ask: “How do we rob You?” “By not making the payments of 10 percent and the contributions."  You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.  Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts." - Malachi 3:7-12

Christians, we need to make God our first priority in our life. Many times when I preach or even mention money, I can see the eyes begin to roll and people will just shut down. Money isn't the issue here; the issue is making God the first priority in our life. We are not only commanded to give to God, but to give generously to Him! You may think that tithing is just reserved for the Old Testament, but think about it, if a Jew under the Law was required to give 10% back to God how much more should a Christian under grace give back to Him? When we give to God, we are supporting His work. In a typical Southern Baptist church, the tithes support the ministry of the church. Then members are asked to give above and beyond their tithe for special offerings. These offerings are things such as Designated Church Offerings, Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon, World Hunger, State Missions, etc. The tithe is for the work of God through His church and we should never take it and designate it. Designated offerings should be above and beyond our tithe. Finally, when we give, we are blessed! We do not give so that we can be blessed but we give in obedience to God. The result of our obedience is however that we are blessed (v10). 

Think about what our churches could do if God's people tithed! How many more missionaries could we support if we were obedient? How many more orphans could we support? How many more homeless people could we feed? How much more could we do to advance God's kingdom if we quit robbing Him and were obedient to give to Him?