In the sermon 'Tithing as a Fundamental Starting Point,' Ash Noah discusses the importance of tithing as a foundational practice for financial stewardship within the Christian faith. Emphasizing the biblical basis from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, the sermon explains that tithing, which means giving a tenth of one's income, is an acknowledgment of God's ownership over all resources. The practice predates the law, with examples such as Abram's tithe to Melchizedek. Noah addresses common misconceptions about tithing under the New Covenant, asserting its continued relevance and moral obligation. He shares personal anecdotes, highlighting how tithing can be a blessing and a testament to faith, even in challenging circumstances. The sermon encourages believers to give cheerfully and discreetly, prioritizing contributions to the church and other faith-based ministries. Through tithing, believers are reminded of their role as stewards, tasked with sowing into God's kingdom, recognizing that all they have is ultimately God's. Noah concludes by linking tithing to the broader gospel message of redemption and stewardship.

Please be seated. Ash Noah is coming up first to begin this process of dealing with financial intelligence. We're doing this to help our, particularly our young people in the church to get off on a good footing, to be wise from the get-go, to build strong foundations. And of course, I believe all of us will benefit from it. Jesus made it very clear in Luke chapter 16 that the sons of his kingdom should be shrewd in the way that they handle their money.

And what I pray happens as a result of the hours that will be together is that we will be far more shrewd, far more thoughtful, far more clear about the ways that God would have us think about the resources that he has given us. So we're going to try to cover every possible subject all the way from the theology of money to the nuts and bolts of how to handle it. And what you'll hear are the men of our church who've handled money for many years and have grappled with the issues and they're here to share the good things the Lord has taught them over those years. So I'm really very, very thankful for that. And we begin with Ash Noah.

He is going to open us up with one of the most critical matters of the handling of money and that is tithing. So Ash, would you come and help us understand it? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you in the name of Christ, our Savior, in whose name we gather, in whose name we serve. For yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and yours is the power and the glory forever.

Lord, we thank you that you have given us this time and these days, these two days to consider what you have given us, not as ones that own what we've been given. For you, O Lord, are the owner. We are just stewards. Lord, help us to understand these principles, help us to be faithful that on that day when we stand before you and give an account for everything including what was done in open or in secret Lord that we would be found faithful in Christ's name, amen. So the starting point of everything of all things in the realm of finance is really starting with the first things first and that's around the first fruits of what God has given you and the increase that God has given you and bringing that to the Lord.

So first, considering first things first, we want to look at tithing, as Scott said, we want to start this and commit, not just this time, but commit our minds, commit everything that we learn to see how we are found faithful in tithing and how we can then bring that increase to God. So we want to look at the meaning of tithing, want to look at the principles of tithing, we want to look at the principles of tithing, we want to look at tithing in the new covenant, is it still applicable, do I still need to tithe, how much should I tithe, and to who should we tithe. So Those are some of the questions I want to go through. And it is a real blessing to see when the deacons open our offering box, to see tithes from kids. And that's such a blessing.

Sometimes they accompany with notes, and sometimes it's an envelope. I grew up without knowing what tithing was and to those children who are here you've been told that you give to the Lord and that's such a wonderful starting point in your lives. When I first, my first tithe after I became a believer was in a situation where we didn't have much. My dad was a really high ranking official in the Air Force, but he put most of his money into a business. He was sick, he lost all of that money, and we were living off borrowings when I went and started to work.

And within three months of me going and starting to work, I became a Christian. And I cannot remember who, but some dear faithful brother instructed me on tithing. Even before I'd read through the gospels, instructed me on tithing. And I remember my first tithe. It was a really difficult situation that I was in and my family were in.

So, whatever I earned, Half of it I used to send home. And then I thought, well, I need to tithe as well. How am I going to live? And my first tithe that I wrote a check for was in translated money, about $100. That was my first tithe.

And now I see tithes in the offering box of two dollars and five dollars. What a blessing that these children are growing up in homes who are being taught the principle of the tithe. So tithe, when we look at the origins of the tithe, it is a tenth, it literally means a tenth. That's the Hebrew word. So the command goes to Leviticus 23 30 to 33 and I'll read from here that and all the tithe of the land whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree is the Lord's.

Very clear. The tithe of the land, whatever comes from the produce of the land, whether it's the fruit or the crop, is the Lord's. It is holy, set apart to the Lord. No question. These commandments which the Lord commanded Moses was for the children of Israel.

So it applies to the crop, it also applies to the animals that they were raising And you can see that there's a tithe of the herd of the flock as well. So there is a way to redeem it. I don't want to cover that. But what it clearly shows is that whatever increase there was of the produce of the land, or in terms of the crop, or in terms of the flock belonged to the Lord. Again, in Deuteronomy 1422, we see, you shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.

So it was an annual calculation and the tithe was calculated and given. And again, tithe again, meaning 10%. So the principle is around the ownership, that everything belongs to the Lord. It is not ours, even though we get the money, we get our paycheck, Nothing that we have is owned by us. Yes, we have an earthly title, but the Lord is the owner.

As Psalm 24, one declares, the earth, everything in it, The fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein is the Lord's. So that really needs to be in our minds that our paycheck, our increase is not ours. It is the Lord's. He owns it. He declares his ownership, Psalm 50, 10 to 12.

For every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all its fullness. So the principle again is that God owns it, but he has given us dominion. And he has given us his stewardship over the earth and over everything in your family and the increase that he gives you.

So be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And this is the command given to Adam and Eve. He doesn't declare them the owners. He's declaring dominion, but retaining ownership.

So having established that the Lord is the owner and we are the stewards, are we still required to tithe? Now, I was looking for some survey materials and I found a 2017 survey, which is the latest that I could lay hands on, and it was actually quite encouraging. It was a survey of about 1, 100 church-going evangelical Christians, And 83% of them said that tithing is still required. And I was quite surprised by that. Overall, I think in the US, the rate of tithing of all the Christian surveys appointed is around 4% of the total income, estimated income, is coming to the church.

But this survey which was done by LifeWay seemed to indicate a higher percentage of believing Christians tithing. So why should we tithe? Malachi 3, 8, 9. Will a man rob God? God declares that Israel was robbing God.

Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings? You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation." So when we look at Psalm 37, and I was just looking at what are some of these principles that come through in Malachi 3, we see in Psalm 37, verse 21 and 22, the wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. So there's this principle that if God owns everything, what we have, firstly we are stewards, it's almost like we are borrowing from God and we are accountable.

But the wicked borrows, does not repay. And God clearly is showing that those that are robbing him are the wicked. So about in the survey I also found that about 54% of these thousand people actually gave 10% or more. So another encouraging sign from this survey that that 10% the tide was still considered the amount. So we talk about being in the new covenant.

Many times I've heard from, when you read the internet and some of the discussions that are going on, that we are now no longer under the law and tithing doesn't apply because it was all covenant, it's under the law. Let's have a look at when was the first tithe given. Genesis 14, 18 to 20. Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abraham and said, bless be Abram, God Most High, Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered you, your enemies, into your hand.

And Abram gave him a tithe of all. So this is before the law was given. This principle of tithing, it doesn't, again, it reminds me of how El Dimiak has been teaching about the Sabbath and how that was a pre-law principle. This seems to be in the same category. It's not to do with the law or the giving of the law.

It is a principle that was existing. Here's Abram who goes after his enemies, wins the battle, and brings not just what was stolen from him, but also other plunder, and he gives 10% of that. So we see that principle being set even before the law was given. So is it still required? Joseph Bingham says, the antiquities of the ancient Christian church, the ancients believed the law about tides not to be a merely ceremonial or political command but of moral and perpetual obligation.

So it's not something that has been done away with. One needs to really consider our new covenant. If we are thinking about our new covenant, isn't the new covenant a better covenant? Do we owe less to God in the new covenant? Why would we then think that the tithe is not due to him?

Luke 12, 48 clearly says for everyone in this new covenant period, Christ says, for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. And to whom much has been committed of him they will ask the more. So why would this principle not apply to tithing is something we need to ask ourselves. Chrysostom says if under the law it were dangerous to neglect tides, consider how great a danger there is now. So it's not something that we say, oh, we're under the new covenant, we're under grace.

Yes, we are under grace, but our Lord is an awesome God. He's a fearful God. We need to make sure that we don't continue to be in the place of robbing him. Matthew 6.24 clearly says, and this is the principle we need to be thinking about, that no one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon.

We are either serving God or we're serving mammon. We cannot serve them both. There are blessings in tithing and Malachi 3 from 8 and 9 from the warning he goes on and Malachi tells us the order and the blessing, bring all the tides into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and try me now in This says the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it, and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your crown, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of hosts. Our God is the same, unchanging, yesterday, today, and forevermore.

Why would that not apply today? As he says, try me now in this. Test me. That's the only thing in the whole Bible God himself says that you can test him on. I remember I talked about my me going away getting a job supporting my family.

I was living in an apartment, two rooms, eight of us sharing it because I was trying to live frugally. And I used to look at, I used to walk to work, I used to eat in the cheapest places possible because I wasn't cooking, I was single, I was 19. And I used to look at the cars driving by. I used to look at these people living in big homes. I used to think, Will I ever be like that?

But God has been faithful. So I stand before you to say that God is faithful and his word is true. And if you give to God, and if you're faithful in your giving, despite of anything else, he gives it back to you. So how should we be giving? And to whom should we be giving?

How should we be giving? Let's think of the verse that says, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, Where moth and rust do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. Where is that? It's not here, brothers. And also think about our time on the earth compared to eternity.

If we gather most of our treasure here and we enjoy that for 80 years, you'll have eternity with very little. What would you rather have? Eternity forever with much or with little. And it is that principle of sowing and reaping. If you save up in heaven, you will enjoy it for eternity, whereas if you are here for a short span with much, you're only going to enjoy that for a little time.

So how should we give? Generously. Luke 638, Christ says, give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom for with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you and in second Corinthians Paul says but this I say he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And that brings us to 2 Corinthians 9. So let us give cheerfully. Not seeking glory from men, so we don't give so that we are recognized like the world gives. Headline items, Bill Gates donates a billion to this cause and that cause. That's not how we are supposed to give.

Christ says, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret.

And your father, who sees in secret, will himself reward you openly. How should we give with the right attitude of heart? This goes back to the story in Genesis again before the giving of the law and the first fruits being brought to the Lord God by Cain and Abel. If you remember, the Lord respected Abel's offering, but not Cain's. And then we see how Cain was angry, and that anger led to the murder of his brother.

So they both gave, but one did not give with the right attitude. So let's check the attitude of our hearts. This is what Calvin says about this section, this story. It is not to be doubted that Cain conducted himself as hypocrites are accustomed to do, namely that he wished to appease God as one discharging a debt by external sacrifices without the least intention of dedicating himself to God. But this is true worship, to offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices to God.

When God sees such hypocrisy combined with the gross and manifest mockery of himself, it is not surprising that he hates it and is unable to bear it. Whence also it follows that he rejects with contempt the works of those who withdraw themselves from him. For it is his will first to have us devoted to himself. He then seeks our works in testimony of our obedience to him, but only in second place. That was helpful as I thought about how do we think about the right attitude of our heart.

To whom should we be tithing? So you don't go and eat in one restaurant and then go and pay somewhere else, right? You participate in this church and you should tithe primarily to the church first. The same survey that I looked at, 98% of those gave to their church. 50% also gave to other Christian ministries.

So Malachi 310, bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, is often interpreted incorrectly that everything needs to come only to the church. So we are called to also contribute and tithe to ministries, to the local church, to the mission, to agencies that support missionaries, ministries that further the gospel and ministries that spread the word. So these are the right places And obviously one should be careful about the type of ministries you are tithing to to make sure that they are using your money appropriately. So if you want some advice on which other ministries to support, happy to speak to you. A lot of us can give you advice.

As a church we support the Holderope, the Turkish missionary effort that the church has. We support the NCFIC. We support the ministry of the distribution of word in Pensacola, Florida. And we are supporting churches in Africa and Malawi as well. So there are several avenues that we can direct you to if you are wondering to whom should you send your tithe to.

I want to close with thinking about the Gospel and the tithe. And I didn't ask Josh to pick the song he did, but Think about the debt that has been settled for you. My debt he paid. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. My death, he died.

For when we were still without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. And so, when we know that we cannot repay that debt, and yet should we be living as though we should have it all for ourselves. Jesus came to pay the debt that he did not owe, because I owed a debt that I could not pay. He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. I want to close with that brothers and sisters and let me close in prayer as well.

Heavenly Father we ask here to help us to rightly understand your ownership of us. For we are redeemed through the precious blood of your son Jesus Christ. We have been bought at a price. And now that we have been redeemed, O Lord, we now belong to you. We are slaves of righteousness that owe everything to you, Lord.

Help us to rightly think about our resources, help us to rightly think about all that you have blessed us with. Lord, that we may sow into your kingdom, that your kingdom would continue to expand. Lord, not that you need what we have, because the cattle on a thousand hills are yours and Lord all belongs to you. Lord we know that if our lips were silent the rocks would shout out in praise. Oh Lord, help us to be faithful.

Help us to be good stewards of what you've given us. Lord, I pray for the rest of the messages. I pray for this time that it will truly build us up, that it would make us wise, even unto salvation through these teachings. Lord help us to be faithful even in our giving, in Jesus' name, Amen.