 We're gonna worship God in a time of giving now and if you would turn to Leviticus 27 The last chapter of this book Leviticus 27 and we'll look at verses 28 to 34 Leviticus 27 verses 28 to 34 Nevertheless, no devoted offering that a man may devote to the Lord of all that he has both Man and beast or of or the field of his possession shall be sold or redeemed Every devoted offering is most holy to the Lord No person under the ban who may become doomed to destruction among men shall be redeemed But shall surely be put to death And 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 If a man wants all at all to redeem any of his tithes He shall add one fifth to it 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 He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad nor shall he exchange it and if he Changes it at all then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy It shall not be redeemed These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai This final chapter of the book of Leviticus is seems to be an appendix of sorts given how the previous Chapter ends that chapter last verse as these are the statutes and rules and Laws that the Lord God that the Lord made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai So this chapter Has a primary focus concerning vows made to God Promises that go above and beyond required Obedience to the laws given in the first 26 chapters. It's kind of a something. We don't think about often and So I want to talk a little more just about this this a concept of vows vows made to God are a special measure of devotion in the heart of a believer who's Experienced a special measure of blessing or grace These vows go beyond what must be done and consider what may be done One commentator said another put it this way It was and is the will of our God that special favors Received at his hand or special influences wrought by his spirit in our hearts Should be marked by optional and exceptional services on our part and our confession actually addresses vows The 1689 there are copies on the shelf. I encourage you to read through it But our confession of faith Says in chapter 23 we read it says a vow Which is not to be made to any creature but to God alone is to be made and performed with all religious care and faithfulness faithfulness but Popish monastic vows of perpetual single life professed poverty and Regular obedience are so far from being degrees of higher perfection That they are superstitious and sinful snares in which no Christian may entangle himself We were talking in essentials about how sometimes we understand right doctrine by looking at wrong doctrine and Popish monastic vows are wrong But so in this chapter of Leviticus, it's all about performing vows with religious care and faithfulness The first 25 verses address vows made regarding the dedication of persons to God Then of clean and unclean animals then houses and lands and we won't get into all the Intricacies of how those were to be fulfilled, but for our purposes We're gonna look particularly well actually if you look in verse 26 We can see that the the writer is making there a point about the firstlings from verse 26 and then in verse 28 those things that are already devoted offerings, which are offerings irrevocably placed in the service of God and then in verse 30 the tithe Which already belongs to the Lord and could not be used to fulfill any vows and That's the point That's the issue here. This passage is affirming that the tithe already belongs to the Lord look at verse 30 again and 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 Pastor Mark Chansky a name many of you know Preach to helpful sermon series on the viticus and he put it this way We must render the tenth of our increase to God not as a voluntary option But as a mandatory obligation Why? Because it's the Lord's it's the Lord's and Not to give the tenth to the Lord is to violate the eighth commandment not to steal so this Isn't always received well even by Some Christians Think when you talk about tithing as being a duty, but we have many duties as Christians Obedience to the laws of God is is the mark of a Christian of one who's been given a new heart One for whom the yoke is easy and the burden is light and so It's helpful to think of tithing in the context of the gospel of What God has given to us? Sinclair Ferguson once described the gospel this way In a presentation about the parable of the prodigal son Ferguson said this and this is at the gospel Everything the father has is yours That's what he offers to you All he has to offer to you is himself his son and His holy spirit and he offers all of that to you before you have done one decent thing in your life Everything the son has he offers to you Fellowship with the father pardon through his death on the cross and the gift of his holy spirit and Everything the holy spirit has The ability as Jesus says to bring into our hearts the father and the son So that the father and the son will come and make their home with us and Domesticate our lives for his glory. It is all yours gloriously generous giving and that means That to be like him we give Especially what it involves giving what is already his Let's pray Father in heaven Help us by your word to have a clear understanding of how we're to worship you in giving and to give joyfully Knowing that your gospel will go forth for your glory by these means amen