 Alrighty, well thank you for coming in and again we're third week here we're looking at this lesson on tithing it's an issue that we wanted to cover just because of the confusion that exists on this issue and to give you some instruction from God's word with respect to this and so we can obey the Lord faithfully and honor him in this and so as we have been the last couple of weeks hopefully we can cover some good ground today this will be the last week of this lesson and the next week we're gonna study on I know it sounds a little highfalutin but covenant theology dispensational theology we're gonna break that down there's also confusion about that I think that'll be a really healthy study for our church it'll take us many many weeks to go through that but I I committed to the Lord that you'll enjoy that it'll be a good healthy biblical study and you'll get just more appreciation for God's word from it so we look forward to doing that study with you and that that subject comes up frequently it may not for you I know for me it didn't for a long time I just was sort of content with with what I knew not to get into all that but it is a question it's an issue that comes up quite frequently and so we want to take some time and go through it and I think it'll benefit you it'll it includes you know sort of the way that we look at Scripture but also eschatology a study of end times and how that plays into all this so it's gonna be a good study but we're finishing up hopefully maybe today maybe next week finishing up this lesson on tithing and give us an update now on where we are so far we looked at a couple of things last couple of weeks one that the Old Testament clearly teaches tithing under the mosaic law under the mosaic covenant and so give me some principles now from that we also covered that outside of the mosaic law outside the mosaic covenant tithing is also taught in Genesis 14 or the principle there is given when Abraham from the spoils of war tithes to Melchizedek priest of God most high right and then we saw in Genesis chapter 28 where Jacob in response in a worshipful response for all that God was providing to Jacob and the promises that God was making reiterating again the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob how Jacob responded by worshiping God and part of that included the tithe and so give me some principles now that pertain to all three of those we have the mosaic covenant we have Abraham Genesis 14 Jacob Genesis 28 what are some principles that we took from those accounts just shout them out yes tithe must be brought into the storehouse and that's got application for us we'll talk about that something else very good brother pardon me thankfulness that it was a testimony of their gratefulness or thankfulness to God for what God had provided them Jacob even said all I have has been provided by God worship that they it was always a part of worship that they tie they gave as a part of their worship to God really really good point yes oh and fear the Lord yes the Lord instituted tithing he says in the mosaic covenant instituted that teach the people of God to fear God say add to that to trust God God's provision the Lord provides what else pardon me the 10th tied me to that very good it gives us an amount to tithe they gave a 10th and it's interesting that before the law Genesis Genesis 14 28 that Abraham gave a 10th that Jacob gave a 10th and then a 10th was commanded under the mosaic law what else all very very good principles yes yes so it was tied the tithe was given considering spiritual authority when Abraham tithe to Melchizedek we're gonna look at that more today very good point the tide that was given under the mosaic law was given to spiritual authority the people tithe to the Levites the Levites tied to the priests priests so yeah very good someone had their hand up something else yes yes very good first fruits we went all the way back to Genesis chapter 4 with Cain and Abel and how Abel in his acceptable sacrifice offered the first fruits of his flock the firstborn of the herds or the fatlings the best of the flock very very good we're to offer our best our first right so all good principles right we'll talk about those some more so one the question that we wanted to ask answer ask an answer is this issue of whether or not in the old testament that tithing then was prescriptive in the sense that all Christians are to do this today or was tithing merely descriptive for their particular circumstances at that particular time and I want to give you in the course of this and we're transitioning into hopefully today what the New Testament teaches on this but one way to determine whether a truth in Scripture is simply descriptive for a specific circumstance at that specific time or whether a truth is prescriptive this is something I need to obey something I need to follow the Lord in there are ways that you can determine that from a text that you're going to study and we've taught over the years how to do an inductive Bible study of the Scripture when you want to take a passage of Scripture inductive Bible study is good because induction takes you from observing the text to interpreting the text and then that often overlooked often neglected part of applying the text so if you're going to do an inductive Bible study you want to know what the text clearly says and then you want to be able to apply it now if we're going to do an inductive Bible study board is not in good shape that's a useless activity trying to erase all that so she's going to write over it forgive us you're going to do an inductive Bible study we need to understand first what the text said to that audience at that time so you have their context and this is a picture that came out of many of you have studied grasping God's word before you remember the picture of their context okay so they live in their day and age all their houses okay here's the people okay forgive me not an artist then you have our text our day and age okay here's our people heavier than people forgive me again was that expecting yeah okay so now what you do what you do if you're gonna do Bible interpretation or Bible study inductive study good to just read the Bible right you need to be reading your Bible as much as I study the Bible I still just read every day and I just want to learn the Bible by reading but then it's really helpful to zero in on particular text of scripture like we're doing in John you know verse by verse looking at specific passages and really digging out the gems all those diamonds that lie there under the surface and how they apply to you so in an inductive Bible study the first place that you go the first place that you start is observing the text and in observing the text in this specific question we're asking today with respect to tithing we want to know what the text would have meant to that audience at that time and so if we read Genesis 14 or Genesis 28 what is that account what did that account communicate to those who would have read that or heard that at that time in that day and age and we've got to determine that meaning first then we do once we have that understood we cross what they call the principalizing bridge okay I'm not even write that down you know that's a principalizing bridge okay and what that means is we have to look at the two audiences okay their audience at that time our audience at our time and we need to determine what's the same what's the difference and what's different between them and us give me some examples of differences between those audiences and us today just throw them out yes language is one very good culture big one covenant yeah they've a different covenant very good so we've got differences between their culture and our culture that audience and our audience so they're going to be things that in their culture at their time that will apply to them because it was at that time to them that won't apply to us and so certain idioms or practices or those kinds of things if you were a text was written to under the mosaic covenant are we under the mosaic covenant today no we under it we're under a new covenant a better covenant so would those specific mosaic covenant issues apply to us today no ceremonially they wouldn't okay so there's a difference between covenants that's gonna apply that's gonna affect what applies to us what doesn't and again this is important it goes to answering the question on something like tithing whether tithing applies to the Christian today is what are the principles that carry forward from that teaching at that time to us today in our context so now in light of that we got across the principalizing bridge I want you to give me applicable if you think about this you brothers that are experienced in this help us out applicable differences and similarities between all three circumstances here's the three circumstances we're looking at before the law Genesis 14 Genesis 28 under the law the mosaic covenant and now after the law our context today okay after the mosaic covenant our new covenant we're looking at those three circumstances I want you to throw out let's look at differences first give me differences between Genesis 1428 before the law under the law and after the law give me some differences in those three circumstances let me give you an example of one one difference is under the mosaic law they had a temple before no temple no tabernacle after no temple no tabernacle and so under the mosaic law there's a difference right there are people that it say that tithing only applied under the mosaic covenant because there was a temple that needed to be supported and so that was the only reason for the time so there's a difference is a temple the one you have one very good yeah so in our context all of those types and shadows from the Old Testament have been fulfilled have been clearly revealed now in Christ we have a clear revelation in progressive relation it's been made known in Christ so all those types and shadows point forward very good yeah very good yeah very good and either were they under Abraham Genesis time I mean Abraham was a patriarch he ruled if you will the men servants family that he had under him so yeah very good something else that you can think of give me another one I know this is a very difficult question but you'll see where I'm going with this one they would say is that Abraham gave his tithe with the spoil to the spoils of war Abraham just one what he had one of those possessions in war and so he gave his tithe as the spoils of war well in under the mosaic covenant it's a different because they gave their ties from all that they had been given by God to sort of attacks for the temple if you will which is different in our day we earn our incomes from the jobs that we have so those are differences give me the things that are the same about all three and here's where the rubber meets the road with respect to the tithe what are the same between all three circumstances I think chase and I'll come back over and amen amen so across all three circumstances were all worshiping right we worship God Abraham Jacob did they did on the mosaic law we do today yeah very good the people of God so Abraham Jacob and Genesis people of God and what they did under the mosaic covenant Israelites in the wilderness or in the land and then us today the church it's a tenth across all three right across all three it's 10th 10th 10th something else okay very good people have got gave very good very good so you see how this works now and you could take principles and we will in just a moment across all three circumstances and across all three circumstances the principles continue so let's and that's what we do when we cross that principalizing bridge the things that are different don't apply the things that are same do let me give you one thought or one example of this would be head coverings first Corinthians chapter 11 why is it today that women in the church aren't required to wear head coverings somebody give a quick like explanation of that from first Christmas 11 the issue of head coverings Sergio well culture yeah the culture is different they did wear head coverings back then there's a specific issue behind the head coverings what's the what was the issue why were women not wearing head coverings in first Corinthians chapter 11 and that was looked at as sin very good and very good okay so now we look at the two audiences that audience in the first century the church at Corinth and then our circumstances today the difference is that back at that time the way that someone a woman might have expressed rebellion against God's prescribed program is by wearing a head covering or not wearing head covering rather in their culture at that time it was appropriate to wear head covering and women would rebel by not wearing a head covering they would shave their hair cut their hair really short men would grow their hair really long it was a sign of rebellion fast forward to our culture now it's not considered rebellious not to wear a all of you women in here would be rebellious right now it's not considered to be rebellious not to wear head covering we express our rebellion Miss Sharma is the only godly woman in the room it's not a it's not an expression of rebellion today not to wear a head covering we have other ways that we express rebellion right so for our content the principle that carries over the bridge is that principle that we're not to rebel against God ordained authority God order you know that's the principle that carries for that's what we're to obey so now think about it in terms of tithing those principles that carry forward are those things that transcend our circumstances or transcend those individual time periods and those are those things that you just listed that it's a worship it's an act of worship it's an act it's giving a tenth tenth transcends it's in Genesis it's also under Moses we'll see in a moment it's in the New Testament a tenth it's done Lord instituted to fear the Lord Abraham feared the Lord so he gave to Melchizedek the priest of God most high the children of Israel taught to fear the Lord through the giving of the tithe we're to fear the Lord today obey the Lord obey his commandments it's robbery not to we see in Malachi chapter 3 so those things transcend you see those principles so now let me ask you the question then in light of that one truth only are those principles then descriptive only for Abraham in that particular circumstance at that particular time only for Jacob in his particular circumstance at his particular time only for the children of Israel under the mosaic covenant for their circumstance at their time or those principles transcend all three circumstances and would also be for the Christian today right okay so it's those principles are those things that are prescribed for us today if it was descriptive only then the tithe would have gone away with Moses if it was descriptive only then that one particular circumstance with Genesis with Abraham and Genesis 14 wouldn't have any application for us today but what does the Bible say Bible says that all scripture given by inspiration of God and is profitable for instruction for correction for rebuke so if that passage in Genesis 14 if the passage in Genesis 28 is profitable for us when you get there if you were going to study that passage and you're gonna preach it to the people right you're gonna get up and you're gonna preach Genesis 14 what are the principles that you would draw out of the text that you would teach the people it's right to worship God in that way that it's right to give a tent that pulls through that it's right to fear the Lord that the Lord is instituted giving as a response to all that he's given us I mean you get all those principles out of that text and they would all apply to us the scriptures profitable in that way so not does that begin to answer the question some whether it's prescriptive or descriptive okay so that's one way to do that is through that sort of inductive Bible study drawing out the principles is clearly prescriptive now let me give you a few examples of that and how this works look at Matthew chapter 19 Matthew chapter 19 and let's look at the teaching of Christ here in Matthew chapter 19 beginning in verse 1 the teaching here specifically is about divorce but I want you to see how Christ does this and then I want you to see Christ doing this with the teaching on divorce and how that applies to tithing there you get into studying this issue many many objections they all want to isolate tithing to specific points in time none of those principles carry through and so tithing doesn't apply to the Christian today we want to faithfully obey the Lord and so we need to faithfully consider how Christ teaches the law and here specifically with reference to divorce and Matthew chapter 19 and look beginning at verse 1 okay beginning at verse 1 it says in verse 1 out came to pass when Jesus had finished these sayings that he departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea but beyond the Jordan and great multitudes followed him and he healed them there the Pharisees also came to him testing him and saying to him is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason here's the question presented to Christ this is a question that deals with doctrine it deals with God's law and we're gonna look at how Christ answers this he answered them verse 4 and said to them have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh now stop right there let me ask you where does that come from from Genesis before the law right okay not during the law not after came from Genesis before the law Christ takes this issue of divorce goes all the way back to Genesis not as Genesis say you shall not divorce your wife no we have a principle here derived from the text that God has joined together man and woman and that let not man separate what God has joined together okay so we take a principle this is what Christ does in teaching on divorce here takes the principle out of the text in Genesis before the law and applies that to us today okay actually applies it to them in the first century we take that same principle and apply to us today we're transcending all kinds of time periods all right then look what he does verse 6 so then they're no longer two but one flesh therefore what God has joined together that not man separate verse 7 they said to him why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away so now we're jumping forward from Genesis into the mosaic covenant look at how Christ responds he said to them Moses because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives but from the beginning it was not so he permitted them under mosaic law that's Deuteronomy chapter 24 where Moses permits divorce I encourage you to look at that verses 1 through 5 there all right he says and I say to you whoever divorces his wife and now Jesus clarifies the law gives us the true sense and meaning of it so we're not confused except for sexual immorality and Mary's another commits adultery whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery so now look at how about what we I have set up here in the teaching of Jesus we have the principles drawn from the Genesis account with respect to marriage and divorce we then have principles drawn from the mosaic law with respect to marriage and divorce now Jesus in the New Testament clarifying expanding the law teaching it as it clearly is in the first century and in all of those places we can fast forward to our context and take the principles that apply directly from here very clear from Christ word we're not the divorce except for cases of adultery or desertion death we'll learn that in other parts of scripture see how that works though all three segments okay the same is true of tithing now listen Christ did not abrogate the law Christ came to what fulfill the law he doesn't do away with the law he came that every word would be fulfilled so he doesn't set himself up here and start canceling out laws from the past he doesn't say that Moses doesn't apply anymore he doesn't say that that account in Genesis doesn't apply to us today he clarifies it does apply and it applies in this way exactly the same with tithing there are those that will say that because the New Testament we're gonna prove this wrong in a moment because the New Testament doesn't teach tithing that means that tithing is not for the Christian today because the New Testament doesn't teach it the New Testament does teach it but that's a wrong way of looking at the scripture it should be shouldn't it that just because the New Testament doesn't say a lot that we start abandoning stuff the New Testament isn't the Old Testament said it and here Jesus is doing the same thing the Old Testament said it in Genesis with respect to creation the Old Testament said it under Moses Deuteronomy chapter 24 and now Christ is saying it in Matthew chapter 19 here so Jesus is not abrogating anything he's clarifying expanding on what the scripture says expounding on what the scripture says not doing away with it okay we looked at that with the head covering issue we also have that from the role of women look at 1st Timothy chapter 2 1st Timothy chapter 2 just another example of this very same thing and this is the way that we need to look at scripture when we study our Old Testament 1st Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 11 look at verse 11 now there is a context to that to this for them at that time in the church at Ephesus there was a context to this law our commandment before and there's a context for us today it says in chapter 2 verse 11 let a woman learn in silence with all submission I do not permit a woman to teach her to have authority over a man but to be in silence for four now here's that's what Paul was commanding at that time okay at that time in their context that's what Paul was commanding but here's the basis for the command verse 13 for Adam was formed first and he goes all the way back to creation again all the way back to Genesis and Adam was not to see but the woman was being to see felons transgression nevertheless she'll be saved in childbearing so we have the same exact thing happening again we have the account in Genesis that is given to support this principle that we have male authority male leadership in the church or male headship so to speak over the family that Eve was Adam's helper we got those principles set up for us in Genesis then you fast forward under the mosaic law certainly the case Deuteronomy chapter 18 is where if you will in Israel male leadership under the mosaic covenant was established with Moses and Aaron and his sons and their grandsons the men leading the people then you fast forward into the New Testament church and first in the chapter 2 here's male leadership and the reason for it again and we fast forward into our context and it applies again so you see even though each of those context right or subtly different for various reasons principles apply in every single circumstance that transcend each of those circumstances and apply today that's why it wouldn't be right today no matter what people say that it's okay to ordain women in the ministry those principles transcend all those different circumstances and these are the principles that are brought forward now you you could do that on your own with a good study of your Bible looking inductively each of those circumstances finding the differences between culture and circumstance and then finding those things that are the same that transcend and those things that are the same those principles apply today just like we did with tithing okay we look at the differences those things don't apply culture covenant those kinds of things are going to impact what applies to us today then we looked at the similarities of things that are the same and from those things that are the same we draw out the principles that apply to us today it works the same way with tithing okay never abrogated that means that those principles apply to the Christian today so now in summary give me those principles specifically talking about tithing now from all three that are the same just start shouting them out those principles will summarize this for you to in a paper very soon give me those principles that apply to the Christian today because they apply and all apply in all circumstances what are some of those worship 10% bring it into the storehouse yes fear the Lord praise the Lord yet an act of faith trusting in the Lord yes see that in all circumstances some other similarities cheerful giver amen first fruits yes yes Isabella very good that's excellent point principles what else yeah it's tithes and offerings right very good that were to bring offerings to thankfulness none of thankfulness to the Lord gratefulness to the Lord for what he's given us so all that you see all these things yes chase yeah Malachi chapter 3 very good it's a trust it goes back to that trusting the Lord the Lord will provide amen okay so we see all those you know those are all well and good you can even in your own study of the Bible in each of those contexts you can draw those principles for yourself that all apply now we've sort of gone around our elbow to get to our thumb the last three weeks to get that point you see how simple that is it's not rocket surgery right you those are things you see in each of those texts principles they're very simple when you know Tom I think it was last week when Tom just said that it's an act of worship yes I mean that's just nailing you can't say any more clearly than that and that's what it is it's that's the way that we worship God it's a part of our worship of the Lord and that transcends all those different circumstances and that's why it is prescriptive it's commanded it's necessary required of the Christian today to worship the Lord in the same way and to worship with the tithe related all those principles that get carried forward okay so now hopefully that issue is in that sense is settled to some degree for you very good yes yeah yeah very very good so now to Mike's point scripture not just to learn stuff okay scripture is to be applied it's information for transformation we're to live according to scripture so what we have to be able to do is we have to be able to take what the scripture teaches right and then apply it to us and obey it and live it and so if you're gonna answer a question like let's say you want to ask yourself okay is it appropriate to take my tithe and for me to administer that as I desire so I'm gonna give it to this para church organization that's a question of itself there are no such thing in scripture as para church organizations are all under the scope of the church so would it be right to give a tithe to a para church no you know you have the issue of where does my tithe go back to Nolan's point about the storehouse that we can take those principles that the tithe is for the Lord the tide is to God we tie as an act of worship but the tide was given to Melchizedek before the law under the law given to who Levites and Levites gave their tents to the priests and they distributed that in the New Testament church comes into the church so yeah we talk about giving in the New Testament tithing the New Testament it's all given under the umbrella of the local church and then the local church becomes the the dispenser of that according to need if you want so all those questions you know you can you get answered by looking at those principles that apply and knowing if you settle in your heart and mind that okay yes tithing applies because the scripture teaches it and I can take principles from the law under Moses I can take principles from Genesis 14 Genesis 28 Genesis 4 I can take principles from the New Testament then when you begin to look at passages like Malachi chapter 3 that where the Lord says bring all of your tithes all of your offerings into the storehouse and he rebukes them for not doing that threatens to judge them for not doing that then you say okay well this is that part that which applies to me I'm to tithe it's an act of faith an extra trust in the Lord and I'm to bring it to the church you know it's it's like you can begin to take those principles and apply them that way and that's what we're to do we're to apply those for us that we can properly obey okay so let's look at a few New Testament texts now we've got time to show again that it's clearly taught in the New Testament so one we have that determining whether this is prescriptive or just descriptive you have that application of principles right you're gonna find those principles that transcend these circumstances those principles apply secondly it's taught by example prior to the law taught under the law taught after the law okay and that's always a good test for whether something is prescriptive or descriptive let me give you another example just pops to mind is example of foot washing why is it now Jesus says it is John chapter 10 I believe that's right where Christ puts on a towel and he stoops down to wash the disciples feet and he says to them go to John chapter 10 let's look at that just very very quickly oh 13 thank you brother sorry and look down at just we'll start at verse 7 you know he poured water in the basin began to wash the disciples feet he says in verse 7 Jesus answered said to them what I'm doing you do not understand now but you will know after this Peter said to him you shall never wash my feet Jesus answered him if I do not wash you have no part with me so Peter says wash all of me so in verse 12 so when Jesus had washed their feet taken his garments sat down again he said to them do you know what I've done to you you call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am if I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you most assuredly I say to you a servant is not greater than his master okay so now there are many churches several churches that still prescribe to foot washing as an ordinance of the church there's baptism there's a Lord supper and there's foot washing why is that not biblical to include foot washing among the ordinances of the church you think about that for a moment we got an example here Christ is washing their feet John chapter 13 and he says giving you an example for you to do so why is it that we don't foot wash think about our principal conversation a second ago it's not not easy right I mean you've got to think got to think that's one way to look at it yeah Christ making that point to them there though too that they're clean yeah Christian yes yes very good right somebody else had their hand up yes ma'am yeah very true very true yes today I need my socks washed so some things being clarified okay so now take the two points let's put those together a little bit in that what was the point that Jesus Christ was trying to make what was the the principal that is the point of the passage and that's a pick it's a picture of humility it's a picture of serving your brother the Lord gives us an example how to serve one even says there look at the text look at verse 15 for I have given you an example an example of what servant leadership serving your brother and sister loving your brother and sister an example of humility we see all of that in Christ so the point is that we're to be an example of humility we're to serve one another there are many ways to do that besides foot washing you watch someone's clothes you can serve your brother and sister in that way and he says look at that it says giving you an example that you should do just like I have done exactly as I have done now do as I have done I have washed your feet Jesus is saying as a picture of humility a picture of servant being servant you're to do the same in loving your brother sister that's why it's not again you go better at text you can pull that all apart you can see all those intricacies that's why we don't do foot washing in the church today okay we take the principle that applies the principle that applies is the example of the humility of Christ the example that were to serve one another were to show that much love for one another and we can do that in many ways not just foot washing right so it's not an ordinance no very good yeah you have the Lord supper baptism all over the New Testament right Lord supper all over the place foot washing is mentioned here and that's so yeah one of those principles is that especially when you've got a circumstance like this and the wording there in chapter 13 because of all those that you would want if foot washing was to be an ordinance you'd expect to see it in multiple other places and because we do not again we see that as descriptive for this one particular moment in time that Christ is teaching this principle but not prescriptive for Christians today or Christians throughout the New Testament amen yeah amen yeah examples all over the place of then Paul doing exactly what Jesus is doing here you know Paul I mentioned the sermon today Paul's comment in Philippians chapter 2 when he says I'm a drink offering poured out in sacrifice and service to others we're to be a drink offering and that's a offering to the Lord now we're to be a drink offering to the Lord poured out in service to others is Paul's is a picture of this very principle that Christ is teaching here so okay so now all that's making sense go to Matthew chapter 23 with me Matthew chapter 23 and let's look at where tithing is taught in the New Testament and as we look at these texts you know a couple of texts not overly clear one particular text very clear but as we look at the the text again you can't come to the text with too many presuppositions some priests up presuppositions are fine and okay but you have you can't come with an agenda you just need to let the text sort of speak for itself in Matthew chapter 23 verse 23 here's what Jesus said he's rebuking the scribes and Pharisees and listen to verse 23 woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you paid tithe of mint and an eyes and cumin and have neglected the way to your matters of the law justice and mercy and faith these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone let's talk about that for a moment because he specifically mentions the tithe here in Matthew chapter 23 for starters the objection often is he strictly teaching or talking to fives and scribes and Pharisees scribes and square fees only that doesn't apply to anyone else but if you look back at the beginning of chapter 23 Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples saying the scribes and Pharisees he's rebuking the scribes and Pharisees but he's doing that for the benefit of the multitudes and his disciples that are sitting around listening so he's teaching he's teaching the multitudes he's teaching his disciples and he's rebuking the scribes and Pharisees so when you get to verse 23 you pay tithe the mint and cumin and an eyes Jesus didn't condemn the Pharisees for tithing for their legalistic tithing he condemned the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical tithing their heartless ritualistic tithing he said these you should have done he in verse 23 you pay tithe the mint an eyes and cumin and have neglected the way your matters of law justice and mercy and faith these paying those tithes of mint and eyes and cumin you ought to have done these you ought to have done without leaving the others or these you ought to have done mercy law or justice mercy and faith those you ought to have done without leaving the others that tithed of mint an eyes and cumin undone so give me some principles you get from it what is he saying here what is he saying with respect to the tithe with respect to what they're doing give me some principles you see there yeah you know that they're they're they're using it as a work of the law they're trying to do do works to get them into heaven and it's just turned into a mindless ritual for them yeah no one very good amen so he's not saying here that tithing should not be done what he's saying is that tithing should not proceed from a ritualistic heartless hypocritical worship but tithing should proceed from the same heart from which justice mercy and faith flow it should be heart done from the heart so again he's not abrogating tithing he's clarifying how tithing should be done it should be done from the heart heart worship to the lord yeah oh you're gonna say something further sorry brother in other words it it should be internal out of the heart not simply external the way they're doing it now unless you're going to look at this this text with an agenda you can't escape the fact that jesus christ is teaching tithing here you can make all kinds of excuses well he's just talking about that because it was a mosaic yeah i mean yeah you could say that or he's just teaching scribes and fairs yeah you could say that but he's teaching the multitudes he's teaching his disciples at the same time as rebuking them he's talking about heart holiness he upholds that tithing should be done but it should come from the same heart as justice mercy and faith should be part of heart worship to god so there's simply here's a text matthew 23 23 where christ specifically mentions tithing and he does nothing at all to abrogate it and does everything to uphold it as being something that comes from the heart heart worship to god so i don't seems pretty clear right okay any comments or input any of that that can help yeah brother pardon me before the cross yes and it's interesting that a lot of dispensationalists that tend to think along those lines but again we go we're about to look at something after the cross but again christ is upholding this teaching and he's upholding it for the disciples and the multitudes that are around him clarifying the law the the same dispensation not all dispensationalism is a bad this is an extreme we're talking about but that same dispensational way of approaching the text would lead others to say that the beatitudes don't apply you can't do anything with matthew five because that's before the cross it's for jews not for christians it's the same people that would eventually if you follow that logic out would start chopping up their pieces of the bible that letter to the hebrus doesn't apply to us at all today because it was to the hebrus you know or you can't use any the gospels we're christians in the new testament church so all we need to read are paul's epistles right it's just that hyper dispensationalism that is heresy it'll lead you to hell and take most of the bible out of your hands so okay let's look at the next text really quickly luke chapter 18 luke chapter 18 and this is the place where um you have the tax collector or the uh publican the Pharisee in the temple chapter 18 and you know again it's just it's a small text that mentions it verse nine he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves they were righteous and despised others verse 10 two men went up to the temple to pray one a Pharisee the other tax collector Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself god i think you i'm not like this other men extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this tax collector i fast twice a week i give tithes all that i possess and so the objection is is this is a wicked Pharisee who's tithing tithing is legalistic and no longer applies to the christian today and so we wipe that out it's not the point of the passage not the point of the parable and um not what's being said here um it goes back to our same issue from matthew chapter 23 verse 23 in that the Pharisees were doing these things ritualistically and heartlessly toward god they were hypocrites and so again you can't use luke 18 to say it doesn't apply because Pharisee was legalistically tithing simply making the point the Pharisee was a hypocrite and you have this tax collector who couldn't even lift his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and said god be merciful to me the center the tax collector was the one who was humble okay so again you have to look at the principles there let's look at the last passage together and this is Hebrews chapter seven Hebrews chapter seven and Hebrews chapter seven i encourage you to spend some time on yourself uh because this has implications and connections here that I think are very very important for this particular issue and again you have you have to put all these things together uh when you study your bible you have to go to the various texts you have to study those texts individually you have to take from those particular texts um principles that apply you have to look at that teaching across covenants across books of the bible across centuries sometimes across millennia uh you have to look at that under the law you have to look at that in the church age you have to look at what the new testament says what jesus christ says to start looking at these issues you look at all these various things and you begin to put them together here the lord does it for us um awesome fashion because Hebrews seven directly relates to abraham and melchizedek and genesis chapter 14 and so let's just look at this quickly uh it really is the whole chapter so maybe we'll go through and we'll draw some principles and then you as well as you think through this now think about the point that Hebrews chapter seven is making about christ how that applies to tithing and what we're to take from that with respect to tithing in Hebrews chapter seven we're establishing the writer author of Hebrews is establishing jesus christ as the consummate high priest that jesus christ is authoritative over the priesthood of the levites he is the supreme high priest and he's going to form an argument to make that point okay in chapter seven says for this melchizedek king of salem priest of most high god who met abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him tomb also abraham gave a tenth part of all first being translated king of righteousness and then also king of salem meaning king of peace without father without mother without genealogy having neither beginning of days or end of life but made like the son of god remains a priest continually all right he's setting up now melchizedek again he goes back to genesis 14 so before the law now we're way after the law uh and we're talking about um melchizedek this after the cross this is in the church age these are two this is written to jewish converts to christianity who are in the church dispersed throughout the land and he's setting up now melchizedek as this a priest of a different order look at verse four where he says now consider how great this man was to whom even the patriarch adam gave a tenth of the spoils now you've got this principle of um one under spiritual authority tithing to one in spiritual authority tithing to god but one in spiritual authority verse five indeed those who are the sons of levi who receive the priesthood and have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law that is from their brethren though they have come from the loins of abraham but he whose genealogy is not derived from them receives tithes from abraham uh and blessed him who had the promises so now i'm trying to build this for you and try to make it as clear as possible that we have the the order of melchizedek the priesthood of melchizedek who is outside his order of the priesthood outside that of the levites that even abraham tithed to him so he's a superior spiritual authority that even abraham tithed to melchizedek and the levitical priesthood set up by god for the children of israel who came from the genealogy of abraham even the levitical priesthood in the loins of abraham so to speak tithed to melchizedek and melchizedek was greater than if you will abraham greater than the the levitical priesthood says verse seven now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better so melchizedek blessed abraham here mortal men receive tithes but there he receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives even levi who receives tithes from all of us he's saying listen levi receives tithes from all of us paid tithes through abraham so to speak for he was still in the loins of his father when melchizedek met him so hope well that makes sense ask me questions if if if not verse 11 therefore if perfection were through the levitical priesthood for under it that people receive the law what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of melchizedek and not be called according to the order of abraham for the priesthood being changed of necessity there is also a change of the law this is important because the priesthood is being changed what tribe did Jesus come from tribe of juda so it wasn't of the tribe of levi so we're making the point that Jesus is a high priest he's not a he's the supreme priest he is the eternal priest prophet priest and king right but jesus didn't come from the levitical line he didn't come from the levites he came from the tribe of juda so we're saying that jesus christ all they're saying here that jesus christ is the supreme priest but he's a supreme priest according to the order of melchizedek and according to the order of melchizedek melchizedek having no genealogy of his own was greater than the levitical priesthood and so jesus christ is greater than the levitical priesthood himself right because the levitical all pay ties to melchizedek abraham himself paid ties to melchizedek so jesus christ is the supreme priest because because he comes from the order of melchizedek makes sense so far and that's why he's making the point here that because melchizedek and there's a lot of speculation about this about how this all applies it means but melchizedek isn't said to have had a father or a mother with had no beginning had no end so he's making some application he draws from the old testament this shadowy figure you know melchizedek with no beginning no end no mother no father but this obviously superior priesthood and he's saying that jesus christ is likened to a priest from that kind of order no beginning no end no father no mother he's eternal he's god in the flesh and jesus christ is a priest like that order and he uses the example of abraham tithing to him to say that it was greater than the usrealite priesthood we have here there's a lot that goes into some of those things that sort of makes sense a little bit yes unknown yeah all right yeah right some believe and that's where you'd have to study and you know think and we won't know you know until we get to heaven but uh someone would say that melchizedek is a theophany that that was an appearance of christ in the old testament and so christ is likened to this order of christ those things would just take study and it's going to take god so there's some things we just won't know for sure until we get to heaven and find him out but that's one thought is that melchizedek was a theophany and another thought that he was just this figure out of the old testament with no genealogy no history no mother and father and so the author of the letter of hebrus just uses that as a as a way to illustrate um but yeah so yes yes amen amen yes there's a word of god right and the word of god is all pointing back to this very issue yeah very good okay so he goes on now he says uh it's evident that our lord arose from juda of which tribe moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood and it is yet far more evident if in the likeness of melchizedek there arises another priest who has come not according to the law of the fleshly commandment but according to the power of an endless life for he testifies your priest forever according to the order of melchizedek and again that's quoting that place uh for uh on the one hand there isn't a nulling of the former former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness for the law made nothing perfect in one sense those tithing laws to Levi because there is another priest another priesthood that law in one sense was done away with and replaced now he's saying replaced now with tithing to jesus christ um jesus christ is greater than the levitical priesthood greater than melchizedek but of the order of melchizedek and so it says um on the one hand there's an annuling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness for the law made nothing perfect on the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to god in as much as he was not made priests without an oath for they have become priests without an oath but he with an oath by him who said to him the lord is sworn will not relent you're a priest forever according to the order of melchizedek by so much more jesus has become a surety of a better covenant also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing but he because he continues forever has an unchangeable priesthood therefore he also able to save to the uttermost those who come to god through him since he always lives to make intercession for them for such a high priest was fitting for us who was holy harmless the point one of the points several that are being made here is that jesus christ one of them is that jesus christ is worthy of the tithe we put away the tithe that was made to the levite because we have a new high priest we have a new priestly order that command in one sense was put away because now we have a greater high priest and since he makes the point by using the tithe as an illustration that jesus christ is the greatest high priest the supreme high priest the consummate high priest because we would tithe to christ and not to the levitical priesthood because abraham tithed the melchizedek the levites and a loins of abraham so to speak tithe the melchizedek because of all of us we would have tided the levites because all of us tied to the levites that's some point being made here i mean they're currently would have been positioned to tithe the levites because we would have tithed the levites and because the levites tithed abraham so to speak in the loins of abraham and because the us, the Levites and Abraham all would have tithed to Melchizedek. We tithe now to Jesus Christ because he is the supreme high priest. Makes sense? It's, you just have to go through there piece by piece and a little difficult. Read a couple of commentaries that'll help. So we're out of time, but here's a couple of points to leave you with and then what I'll try to do is we'll get out a summary of all these things in sort of paper form that will help you. It'll give you a reference that if at any point this issue ever comes up again, you can look through that and sort of re go through or rehash all these principles and points. Transcends circumstances. Transcends covenant. Transcends cultures. Transcends eons. Tithing taught before the law, under the law, after the law. Taught in the New Testament. Never, never abrogated. Maybe we spend one more week answering some of these questions, but Christian giving above and beyond the tithe. The tithe then, from all that we have here, the tithe is commanded. That's a principle that we draw from all those different audiences, covenants, times and circumstances as the tithe is commanded as an act of worship. The tithe then would be a 10% giving to be brought into the storehouse, a 10% of your best, your first fruits. So that's where we get the idea that we tithe from the gross and not the net and that the tithe applies to the Christian today. Christian giving then is part of the New Testament's expansion or clarifying of what we're to do with our possessions. Christian giving becomes then above and beyond the tithe that we're to give with a willing, cheerful heart, that we're to give out of an abundance of all that God has given us, give as God has prospered us to give. We take that collection as Paul says on the first day, on the day we gather together to worship the Lord. All those principles would apply and we'll try to get all those principles in paper form for you. Sorry to seem like we've sort of rushed through that. I'll decide maybe you can give me some input whether we should take one more Sunday and just sort of clarify all those things out for you, what we've garnered from this, but clearly taught in the New Testament, taught under the law, taught before, so it applies, okay? We'll talk more. Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you for this time. Thank you again, Lord, just for how wonderfully clear and helpful your word is. What a sure guide for us, Lord, if we just humble our hearts and learn what it says and obey it. Thank you, Lord, for this gift of tithing to us, God. It's a blessing to us because it sanctifies us. It teaches us, as you've said, to fear the Lord, teaches us to humble ourselves and trust in you for your provision. And then, Lord, it just bolsters our faith. I've seen time and time and time and time and time again how you, Lord, have personally bolstered my faith by just providing for me when I didn't know where the next check was going to come from. So, thank you, Lord. You're gracious and merciful and we worship you in this. We love you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, folks, and we'll have a service starting in just, okay, with preparatory...