One of the officials managing a race-meeting or show.
Pause awhile and consider how accurately those words define a true
believer's responsibilities in the service of the King of Kings. For
are we not managers in the Royal Household, working on an estate which
spans the mighty universe? Are we not supplying spiritual food to
fellow passengers on a craft (our planet) which is hurtling through space? And
are we not officials in the greatest race of all - the one for eternal
life?
To be sure we are all these things and infinitely more, and that is why the
Saviour refers to his followers as 'stewards' when he says:
| Luke 12:42 |
"Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his
Lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of
meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so
doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all
that he hath." |
This lesson has been designed to briefly explain a major duty in
stewardship; just what you as a steward are required to do in the Royal
Household of Yahweh the Holy One of Israel. It will show how you are,
in fact, a co-labourer with the Most High and how that even the poorest
believer - by worldly standards - can be a "faithful and wise steward"
in the royal household of faith. The lesson will outline Yahweh's appointed
arrangements for the financing of His work and the personal responsibility of
each steward. It is the final lesson of the Course and contains a
sobering challenge to every Christian committed to spreading the truth in
his/her area. You may be sure that if you put this lesson into practice, the
Everlasting Gospel will reach a thousand people in your country where
now it is reaching only one.
1. Presently
Consider for a moment how the various Church groups and Charitable
organizations raise money to finance their work. The methods used include:
- Buying and selling shares on the Stock Market
- Renting real estate to the public
- Sales of Work, Jumble Sales
- Raffles, lotteries, sweepstakes, whist drives, football pools
- Sponsored walks, marathons and race meetings
- House to house and street collections
- Coffee mornings, concerts, plays and displays
- And the buying and selling of articles (books, records, candles, holy
water, cards and souvenirs of various kinds).
- Getting the Government involved with tax deductible receipts so people
will give or give more because of the incentive of a tax break.
The list is long and no doubt one could add to it without
any trouble; and tell of how sincere believers all over the world strive to
raise funds for the charity of their choice.
Please do not think that we are decrying their efforts or doubting their
motives - because we are not. But here are some solemn questions for
consideration. Are you sure that the Almighty wants the Everlasting Gospel
financed by these methods? Do you honestly think that He who designed the
great Plan of Salvation and paid for man's redemption with His own life
blood had such methods in mind when He founded His Church and through His Son
gave this staggering commission:
| Matthew 28:18-20 |
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. "
|
For our part we must confess that praise-worthy though a few of those
money-raising methods are, and most of us have taken part in them - not one
of them bears the stamp of divine authority. Yes it is an unequivocal
fact, that nowhere in the Holy Scriptures will you find Yahweh instructing His
people to raise money for the Gospel Work by any of the above mentioned
methods. They may be perfectly suitable for other causes; they may be the main
channels of revenue for scores of charities; they may be
fine as far as worthwhile secular projects go; but in the final analysis we
must admit - they are not the divinely authorized method for financing the
Everlasting Gospel!
Could it be that herein lies the cause of the Church's financial problems;
that somehow - perhaps even inadvertently - the church has allowed itself to
become commercialised and wandered away from the truth? And could it be
that by ignoring the Almighty's appointed way and resorting to human
alternatives to raise funds, many groups have paved the way to economic
ruin and in some cases are almost bankrupt?
We think that this may well be the case; that in this very important matter
of 'church finance', many sincere groups have not understood the divine
plan and have failed to tell individual believers of their responsibilities in
the work of the Most High. For, make no mistake about it, Yahweh has a plan
for financing His work, a plan which includes every member of His Church -
no matter how insignificant or poor they may reckon themselves to be.
Without much ado, let us open to you the financial secrets of a vibrant
Gospel work. Let us show you Yahweh's plan for taking the Truth to the whole
world; and, more importantly, where you as a steward in the
Royal Household fit into the picture. Here is the divine method encapsulated
in a single command.
2. The Almighty's Appointed Way
"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."
(Malachi 3:10)
Yes, believe it or not, the paying of 'tithes' is the Almighty's
appointed way for meeting the financial needs of His Church; for providing
spiritual and physical food for the starving masses of humanity. The tithe is
to be used:
- To publish the truth, which is likened to spiritual food
- To help the widow, the orphan and the needy with physical food
- And to support the ministry.
(Deuteronomy 14:22-29, Nehemiah 10:35-39, 2 Chronicles 31:5-6, Numbers
18:23-32)
3. What is the Tithe?
On the agricultural level the tithe is one tenth of the literal
harvest, a tenth of the crop, a tenth of the oxen and sheep born each year in
the fold and a tenth of the wine and oil harvest. On the industrial level the
tithe consists of a tenth of one's earnings. For example if a man earns
$400 a week, the tithe on that amount would be $40. And if he earned $1000 per
week the tithe would be $100. Every believer in the Almighty is commanded to
bring in the tithe just as they did in ancient days.
4. Who does the Tithe belong to?
The tithe is Yahweh's, it belongs to Him. When we return the tithe
to God, we are not really 'paying' Him anything; because, strictly
speaking, the tithe is His in the first place. We are simply returning to the
Almighty His share of the harvest.
We use the word share because when a person becomes a true believer in
the Almighty he/she immediately becomes a co-worker and shareholder
with God in the Vineyard of Salvation. And every 'shareholder' in this divine
company has, amongst other things, this solemn responsibility:
To return to the Almighty His share of the harvest - the
tithe!
For His part Yahweh provides us with life, health, inherent ability,
opportunities, the earth with its abundant supply of raw materials and, last
but not least, the immeasurable blessings afforded by His very presence.
For our part we provide the willingness, perseverance and the physical or
mental effort required to produce meaningful results. At harvest time, nine
tenths of the harvest is our share and one tenth - the tithe - goes to
the Almighty. That is the divinely appointed share-out.
Pause awhile and consider this generous arrangement? Have you ever come
across a better employer? Do you personally know of any business, any
enterprise, any company, any organisation where that kind of a deal is given
to the workers? We are absolutely certain that you have not, because there
just isn't another. Oh how generous is the Almighty, how benevolent His
dealings, how far-reaching His plans.
5. What does The Almighty do with His Share?
When a believer returns to Yahweh His tithe, do you suppose that He keeps
it for Himself? Do you think He desperately needs our money in the
first place? You may be sure that He doesn't. The Almighty God of Israel is a
Being of limitless resources and He doesn't need our money or our food to keep
Him going. Indeed the cattle on a thousand hills and all the gold in the
world's banks belong to Him anyway. (Psalm 50:10-13, Haggai 2:8)
"Then why," you may well ask, "does He command us to give Him a tenth of our
meagre earnings?"
The answer is: because we believers are stewards in the Royal Household
of Faith and each of us has a responsibility towards our fellow human
beings. We all have a position to fill, a commission to carry out and a
job to do in the Royal Household; and we will never spiritually mature until
we shoulder those responsibilities and meet our obligations. And so to each
one of us Yahweh says this:
"Bring the tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food (spiritual and physical) in my household."
Yes, the Most High has commanded every believer to set aside the divine
portion - His Tithe - for the proclamation of His Truth and the
sustenance of fellow believers. And that is where all true believers come into
the picture, for we are all stewards in the Royal Household of Faith.
The Most High could, of course, easily bypass the above method of tithing
and provide spiritual and physical food for humanity some other way. But He
has chosen not to do so. If He had, we believers would never really appreciate
the valuable lessons of stewardship, responsibility and a job well
done. If Yahweh had excluded His servants from all responsibility and bore
the cost of every enterprise alone, we would be no better than cattle in a
stall - totally oblivious of the meaning of duty and eternally unaware
of how we could have in a small way - sacrificed for the benefit of others.
Instead, the Most High has lifted us high above the level of brute beasts and
allowed us the privilege, through sacrifice, of becoming responsible
co-workers with Him in the Vineyard of Salvation. And when we shoulder
our responsibilities and return to Yahweh His tithe we become 'active
shareholders' in the divine company, 'co-labourers' with Him in the greatest
project this universe has ever witnessed.
6. Prove Yahweh, put Him to the Test
Consider for a moment this amazing challenge:
| Malachi 3:10-12 |
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
food in mine house, and prove me saith the Lord of Hosts, if I
will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I shall rebuke the devoured 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. And all nations shall call
you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts."
|
"Prove me" (put me to the test, give me a try) says the Creator to
you! Oh what astonishing humility is here displayed, that the Almighty
God of Israel must needs speak to His people in this way in order that we will
bring His share (the tithe) to Him. Listen to His solitary reason for
requesting it:
"That there may be food in mine house"
Yes that is why the Almighty is asking for His share of the harvest, "that
there may be food in His house:" food for his servants, His flock to eat
and be satisfied. Pause awhile dear reader and try to appreciate the
astonishing worth of that single reason. Is it not proof of Yahweh's amazing
love for His creatures, for the poor, the hungry and the lost? It is the same
love that prompted His Son to say to the Apostle Peter: "feed my lambs"
and "feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)
You may be sure that if every believer brought in the tithe, and gave without
needing a tax receipt, it would be an
unmistakable sign of where the heart is (Luke 12:34) there would be absolutely
no shortages of any kind in the world today. The Most High would, as
promised, "open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on His
people and the world, the like of which the sons and daughters of men would
hardly contain. Instead of the reward coming from man (government), God
would give the increase. It is virtually impossible to imagine the effect on this
world if the whole true Church carried out that single command in the way God
intended.
7. If a believer refuses to tithe, is he/she sinning?
The answer is yes.
The commandment to tithe is still on the statute books of heaven and it is a
sin to ignore it. In fact it is theft from the Almighty God and is
followed by a curse:
| Malachi 3:8-9 |
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.
But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me,
Even this whole nation." |
There are, of course, other spiritual issues far more important than paying
tithes; issues like justice, mercy and faith.
The Saviour referred to these 'weightier matters of the Law' when he
said in Matthew 23:23:
" Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone."
Notice how the Messiah instructed us to practice the weightier matters
of the law, but not to neglect the matter of tithing.
8. Where to send Yahweh's tithe
- Look to caring for widows, orphans, and the poor, especially of the
household of faith.
- Carefully examine the teachings of believers, in the
light of the Scriptures; who hold fast to that which is true and who are feeding the flock with Truth.
Be on guard against the spirit of commercialism in
the church and of leaders who have a tendency for luxurious living. Also watch closely the personal lives of the leaders; for you may
be certain that if they blatantly break Yahweh's law they have no place in
the Priesthood of Melchizedek. Then when you have thoroughly examined each one of these points, then send
Yahweh's tithe to that work.
Remember that you have a responsibility to
ensure that Yahweh's tithe is not wasted.
9. The Rewards
Never imagine that the service of the Almighty is all sacrifice and no
gain. Yahweh and His Son, as we have already pointed out, are Beings of
unimaginable love and generosity. And they have scheduled themselves to repay
a hundredfold every sacrifice believers may make in the cause of duty.
Consider this beautiful promise:
| Matthew 10:42, 19:29 |
"Whosoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold
water because he is my disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not
lose his reward." |
10. Stewardship
Peter said, 'Lord, do you intend this parable specially for us or is it for
everyone?' The Lord said,
| Luke 12:42 |
"Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his
Lord shall make ruler over His household to give their portion of meat in
due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall
find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over
all that he hath." |
And there you have it, perhaps one of the greatest challenges you have ever
come across, to be a faithful and wise Steward in the Household of the King
of Kings. It is a highly responsible post we will admit, and one that will
call for sacrifice; but the rewards are great - greater by far than
anything you can imagine.
Are you willing to take up your duties?
will save)
would
affirm today; it's the same truth He
attested to as he walked this earth
some 2000 years ago - an exclusive way to the Father
(John 14:6) and that man,
as a sinful creature, is in need of a
Saviour.(John
3:16-21).
