Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 21:1-9. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on January 14, 2024.
In last week’s sermon, we delved into Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6:19-24, where He instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Jesus emphasized that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, ESV). This teaching, part of the larger Sermon on the Mount, underscores a fundamental principle of Christian ethics: our hearts follow our treasure. The passage also hints at how we can store up heavenly treasures—by embracing generosity and rejecting the twin evils of stinginess and jealousy.
Jesus further illustrates this point by drawing a stark contrast between a healthy and a bad eye, a first-century idiom for generosity versus greed. He closes the passage by addressing the idolatry of wealth, stating, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24, ESV). This sets the stage for today’s message, which builds on last week’s lesson by exploring the practical application of generosity through tithing and offerings in the church.
Today’s topic is not easy to discuss, primarily because it involves personal finances—a subject often considered taboo. Moreover, discussing giving in the church can be uncomfortable for pastors and congregants alike, especially in light of the potential for abuse. Many of us are familiar with the so-called “Prosperity Gospel,” a dangerous distortion of Christian teaching that promises health, wealth, and prosperity as the divine right of all believers. This false gospel preaches that financial blessing and physical well-being are guaranteed by faith, often leading to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
As theologian Stephen Hunt explains, the Prosperity Gospel centers on the belief that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine rights of Christians and can be attained through faith. However, as John MacArthur rightly points out, this message is not just misguided—it’s satanic. It preys on the sinful desires of people to accumulate wealth, offering them false promises in exchange for their money. Prosperity preachers often live lavish lifestyles, using their wealth to further deceive their followers into giving more, all in the name of “activating” divine blessings.
One of the scriptures frequently twisted by Prosperity Gospel proponents is Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap” (ESV). On the surface, this verse seems to support the idea that giving leads to financial gain. However, when we examine the full context—“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged… forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36-37, ESV)—it becomes clear that Jesus is not talking about material wealth, but about mercy and forgiveness.
This misuse of scripture is a prime example of the potential for abuse when discussing giving in the church. It’s understandable that such distortions can make people wary of sermons on tithing. However, the truth remains that Christians are indeed called to give generously. The motivation behind our giving is what truly matters.
So, what should motivate our giving? First, it’s essential to understand that everything we have belongs to God. Psalm 24:1-2 reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (ESV). Our giving, then, is not about meeting God’s needs—He has no needs—but about acknowledging His lordship over all creation.
Tithing, or giving 10% of our income, is a biblical principle rooted in passages like Leviticus 27:30: “Every tithe of the land… is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord” (ESV). While we are no longer bound by the Mosaic Law, tithing remains a beneficial practice that honors God and supports the work of the church. Proverbs 3:9 further instructs us to “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce” (ESV). This principle suggests that our giving should be from our gross income, not after taxes and other deductions.
Moreover, tithing helps reorder our priorities, aligning our hearts with God’s kingdom rather than with earthly wealth. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:21—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (ESV)—serve as a poignant reminder of this truth.
Finally, tithing provides for the needs of the church and the community. Malachi 3:10 encourages us to “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house” (ESV). The early church exemplified this practice, as seen in Acts 4:34-35: “There was not a needy person among them… as any had need” (ESV).
As we consider our giving, let us remember the example of the poor widow in Luke 21:1-4, who gave two small copper coins—“all she had to live on” (ESV). Her gift was small in value but immense in faith. May we, too, give generously, not out of obligation, but out of love for God and a desire to see His kingdom flourish.
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