Honour the Lord with thy Substance Prov. 3: 9-10 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Sometimes people get nervous about preaching on money because there is so much preaching on money and they get tired of it. One reason they are so tired of it is that they recognize many of the preachers who are preaching on money have a selfish motive. Too often these preachers are trying to raise money for themselves under the guise of raising it for the church or some seemingly worthy cause. However, this passage tells us that if we honor the LORD with the first fruits of our labor then we will have plenty. This was absolutely true in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament this is not always the case as there are some exceptions to the rule. The Apostle Paul is an example.  He was very generous with what he had, but retained very little in the way of material possessions. Contrary to what the prosperity preachers of today will tell you, generosity does not automatically generate prosperity for the generous donor.

The tithe was established voluntarily by Abraham (Gen 14:20, Heb 7:6) and then later given as a commandment by the LORD to Moses (Ex 22:29, Lev 27:30). It is important to recognize that the tithe was first established by faith in Abraham and not by commandment.  So, when someone claims that tithing is of the law that is not a complete statement (Rom 4:16).

In the Old Testament there was a promise associated with tithing that God would bless them abundantly (Mal 3:8-10). This verse is commonly used in conjunction with pledge cards. We see how abundantly wealthy Abraham was as a result of his faith in the LORD and his giving of the tithe (Gen 24:35).

In the New Testament they went beyond the tithe by combining their wealth to share equally amongst the brethren (Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:34). When you use your wealth for the ministry instead of satisfying your desires, the Lord can use you as a conduit to distribute His wealth and increase your abundance in giving. In a solid King James Bible believing church is the best place to practice giving (Acts 20:35, 2Cor 9:6-7, Prov 11:24-25, 13:7, Phil 4:15).

Honor the LORD with your substance and the first fruits of your increase and in return He will bless you and make sure your bills are paid and that you have more to give in the future (1Tim 6:17).