Why We Give: Faith

Why Do We Give? Faith
Hebrews 11:6,17-19; Malachi 3:8-10

Introduction: There are things people don’t like to talk about and most of them need discussion. We tend to avoid topics like sexuality as embarrassing or too personal. Things associated with death like funeral arrangements or wills are another area. And finally money and finances are often off limits for openness and discussion. As a preacher I have hesitated to preach on money for the simple reason people accuses churches of only being interested in money. If you have been here any length of time you know that is not the case. If you are a visitor or an occasional attendee you may draw that conclusion but again it is a wrong conclusion. Jesus never apologized for talking about money or finances. He knew how we view and spend our money is a reflection of our spiritual heart.

I. The Importance of Faith
We all know about faith. We all have to have some faith to become a Christian. There are several different understandings of what faith is. Most people understand faith to have something to do with what a person believes to be true. Of course we believe many different things, some of them true, some of them not true. But the main test of any belief or faith is what one does with that belief. If I believe it is more dangerous to fly than it is to drive then I won’t fly, even though it has been shown over and over that flying is one of the safest forms of travel.
So what do we believe about God? The Hebrew writer gives us some basics, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) First God is looking for faith. Do you think God could provide irrefutable proof of his existence if he so desired? He could without a doubt. So why doesn’t he? Because God desires to be with people who seek him and people who have faith. Faith is always based on evidence but must inevitably go beyond the evidence. That is why true faith is hard to come by. It is rare or at least Jesus found it rare in his day and time. I don’t imagine he would find it that different today.

II. The Test
I believe that this is why we have tests. A lot of people have jitters about tests. We often see them as obstacles to overcome or barriers that keep us from what we want to do. The pressure from tests like the ACT or SAT are high stress events in our children’s lives. It can be devastating to fail a test.

But another purpose of tests is to help us see where we are, how well we are doing. Of course we may fail more often than we pass but we often learn more in our failures. I believe this is why Paul had such a unique philosophy, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

There are many kinds of tests. Many of those tests are found in marriage or other close relationships with people. We are tested when things don’t go our way or when we have power over people and then how we treat them. In a sense almost every thing is a test.
But one of the big tests for us as Christians is our money. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot or a little, but how we relate to money and how we use it. (This type of test is not always about money, some things are more valuable like a child.) That is what the Hebrew writer brings to mind as he writes about faith. He mentions Abraham and the test of offering Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God was testing Abraham’s faith in him and he passed the test.

The Israelites in Malachi’s day were also being tested and they weren’t doing well. The law clearly stated what offering should be made and they were not fulfilling their covenant promise to God. Why? They didn’t trust God to provide for them, to fulfill his covenant promises to them.

We face the same test when it comes to our finances. We do not find in the New Testament a percentage as we see in the Old Testament. The tithe was a tenth of what they received though many have concluded it was higher. The question is how is our faith?

The New Testament takes giving out of the realm of law and puts it in the realm of grace; that it is a gift of free will that comes from the heart of gratitude. It would be so much easier if we had a percentage to say, “Do this and you are okay.” But this is a faith test and part of the test is how you decide to give as well as how much. It is time for us to take this test with some seriousness. We develop our faith by exercising that faith therefore I would encourage you to do several things.
1. Look at your finances.
2. Decide how much you want to give.
3. Make giving to God a priority.
4. Be faithful.
Will God take care of you? God responds to faith, he rewards those who seek him. Our finances are one area where we need to seek God.

Livonia Church of Christ: September 24, 2006