A Crash Course in Stewardship

We are God Stewards over Everything we are

• Over our own selves – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”
• Over all He gives us – Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ”
• Over our Gifts – 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
• Over our time – Eph 5:15-17 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Money is a Tool, God is a Master

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Saving not Hoarding

Ø Proverbs 13:11 “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow”.

Ø Matt 25:27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

3 Types of Giving

The bible gives us instructions on giving. There are 3 general types of giving listed in the bible relational giving (tithe), replacement giving (alms) and redemption giving (offerings).

(Relational) Giving

Tithing is giving based on covenant. Gen 28:20-22 reads “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” tithing is covenant or required giving which says Jehovah is our God.

v Lev 27:30And all 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 to the LORD.

v Lev 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.

v Heb 7:5 indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law,

Alms (Replacement) Giving

Ø Matt 25:37-40 reads “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”. When we give to someone in need we do so to give help. God looks at people in need and sees them as if He was in need. Read what the following verses tell you about replacement giving.

v Proverbs 19:17 He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.

v Proverbs 17:5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

v James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Offerings (Redemptive) Giving

v Ex 25:1-2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

v Ex 29:36 you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement

v Lev 5:5-6 When he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD

Tithing as a System of Taxation

When the king was placed under a covenant by a stronger king, the lesser king gave a set tribute that the stronger king imposed on him. God has set his tribute at one tenth (tithe). The tithe became a method of taxation for the strong King (God) who would provide the support the Steward needed. In the Old Testament there was a marriage of the Priesthood and the State. The Judges were the religious and social leaders of their day. That is correct the priesthood was the government. There was not a change in the government system until the people rejected God as being their King.1 Samuel 8:6-7 Then they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Duties of the Levites

1. Serve God - Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name…

2. Declare Law and Judge Disputes - Deuteronomy 17:9-10 Go to the priests, who are Levites, and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. 10 You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the LORD will choose.

3. Worship Life of the People - 1 Chronicles 25:6 All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

4. Lead their Educational System - 2 Chronicles 17:9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

5. Royal Bodyguards - 2 Chronicles 23:7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."

6. Revenue and Welfare System - 2 Chronicles 31:14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the LORD and also the consecrated gifts.

Amount of the Old Testament Tithe

3 Tithes – 20%, 20%, 30%

1. Support of the Priesthood

The First tithe we see in scripture is the tithe that God ordained to provide for ministry. Num 18:21 "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.

Support of Celebrations ordained by God

The Second tithe was not given to the Levites. Instead it would be eaten. This tithe was to provide for the 3 mandatory and the 4 non-mandatory feasts that the Israelites would have each year. Deut 14:23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.

Support of the Welfare System (for widows and aliens)

The Third Tithe was an additional tithe taken every 3 years in support of the widows who could not work and the resident aliens (people who were fleeing slavery or famine in their homeland as in the book of Ruth chapter 1). Deut 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. History tells us that wars would also be supported for by taking money from the storehouse to buy food and supplies for the troops.

Redemptive Giving

The Freewill Offering

The word Redemption means “to loose or deliver from bondage by paying the price”.

The Redemptive offerings were fulfilled in Christ, thus they are no longer practiced today. The freewill offering is still practiced in our local churches. This offering is a voluntary offering from the heart.

Offered as a Dedicated Steward

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.