The Ohio Independent Baptist, November 1963

the tithes of God's people. But be– cau e the word "tithe" i not written in, some say it is not here. Would you please answer me in verse 13 , "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?' ' Who wer; "they' that ministered about the holy things, that lived of the thing of the temple? And "they which wait at the altar", the priests. They are par– takers with the altar. But they that minister were the Levites Ju t a clear as could be. So God said the Levites are mine the tithe is mine, I have given all the tithes to the Levites, "Even so'', in the New Testament, those that I call are mine, the tithe is mine, I have Riven all the tithe to ,ny servants. God has a program today. It is the local church . So therefore there mu t be pastors. The local church has a program, to evangelize the world. Therefore there must be miss ionaries. How are we going to sup,port pa tors and misisonaries? God has a ,ne thod. What is it? All the tithe is the Lord's. The servants are the Lord's. He ha given all the tithe to his servants. Would you turn to II Cor. 12:13. "For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong. . ." "WRO G?" "Forgive me this wrong." Paul said I am not asking for this support myself, but I am telling you so you will be instructed. How are pastors and missionaries to be sup– ported? I think this is so clear that once pointed out it ought to be a,p– parent to everyone who is acquainted with the Word of God. Most of u believe in tithing, but we have an idea that if a person tithes it is all that he should do. Most hristian do not ti the, and many do not bring their tithes into the storehou e, as in Mal. 3: l 0. There was a great ble ing on those who brought all of the tithe into the storehouse, a I believe this is not Old Testament teaching only. I believe that thi s is teaching that wi ll fit fron1 , enes1s to Revelation . Mal . 3: 8 "Will a n1an rob God: Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee? Jn tithe and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me ," even the \\'llol e chL1rch. I believe it could be aid j tt st Ji k e t 11 at. · Br i 11g ) ' e a 11 th c titl1es i11to the store t1ouse tl1at there 111a}' bt; n1eat in 1t1i11e. l1 ol1 c." },,Jere i tl1e word 111i11 e agai 11 . Mi11e l1011se. Wl1at i od's l101J se today? The OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST The .church! "And prove me now aith the Lord of ho t if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." In I Cor. 3 : 16-17 the church i called a temple, that i , the local church i called a temple of the Holy Spirit. The house for the H oly Spirit to dwell in, in that co,nmunity. And I do believe verse 10 could be read this way, 'bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse' into the treasury, that there may be food in the local as– sembly. "And prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven and por ) iOU otLt a blessing that there shall not be room to receive it." ' 'Prove me" test me. If our churche would only do this, and then use the tithe a God would have it used only for pastor and missionary. I can almost hear someone say 'How would you ever build a build– ing? And pay for the heat light, and all the other expense ? ' Well , that' the catch. God said you have robbed me in tithes and offerings. The Bible always reads, pay tithe and give offerings. The Bible alway read , pay tithes and give offering . In the book of Exodus, God gave direction to build the tabernacle. The taber– nacle. The tabernacle co t sever al million dollars. In the 35th ch~pter He told them how to finance it in verse 5, "Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: who oever i of a willing heart . And we read that the children of I rael brought a willing offering unto the Lord, in verse 29, it wa not the tithe. They brought so much that the people were re trained from bringing - 36: 6. Thi was an offering not a tithe. In II King 12, we read that Joa h de ired to repair the temple. H ow dic.i they do it? Well, they did not take the tithe of the people. BLtt if yo ll notice very carefully in verse 9. J ohoida, the prie t, took a che t and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it be ide the altar, on the right idc a'> one cometh into the hou e of the Lord . he prie t that kept the door pttt therein all the money that wa~ brotight into the hot1 e of the I ~ord. Now, the tithe wa to upport the l .. evi te\ but thi offcring went into tl1e chest to repair the ten, pie. o, for t h c b Lt i Id i n g of t 11 e t a 11 t: r– nacle, it was a tree \\tll offering. J-. ()r repa11111g the tc n11Jlc, it \\' ,l~ a fr Ct: will offering. ,od said \ c l1a, L' 1 ol1l)etf n1e i11 titl1e al1d offer111gs. 111 J'l1il. 4: l O 1>at1l aid , '13 t1t I r j icctl i11 tt1c l... orlf greatl ', that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful but ye lacked opportun– hty." And you remember how it wa in the jail at Rome that Ep~phroditus brought an offering from the church at Philippi . In verse 14, "Notwith– standing ye have well done, that ye did .communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the go pel when I de,parted from Macedonia no church communicated with me a concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my neces ity. Not becau e I desire a gift:" Now it is very evi– dent that they did not send their tithes to Paul althoLtgh I think it would have been proper but they did end hin1 a gift. ' But I de i!Te fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full having received of Epaphroditu the thing which were sent from you, an odour of a weet mell a sacrifice accep– table well pleasing to God.' This wa a acrificial offering. Beyond the tithe, for evidently ,they u ed the tithe at Philippi for the support of their pa tor and other worker . Promise is made otice the n1arvelou promi e made to the ohurch in giving their iti the and their acrificial gifts. In ver e 9 "But my God hall upply all your need according to hi riche in glory by Chri t Je u .' "Hear me now. aith the Lord of ho t , if I will not open the window of heaven and pot1r you out uch a ble ing that ot1 can– not contain it." Do you ee? When yot1 tithe and gi e acrificial– ly, tl1e11 "God hall t1pply all )Ottr need ." Do yot1 know what the catch i toclay? We are not willing to be criptural and bring ot1r tithe to the torehot1 e, anc.i econd w are not willing to give acrificia ll, abo\ e th tithe. to prove od that H e n1ight trt1l y ble . I Cor. l 6: l-2 L\ tt'>tt,111} a pp lied to tl1c t1 t l1e al tht)t1gh I an1 tire 111, elf, that it ha to do ,, ith a,1 offering to be tak.c11 to tl1t: p or ' a111t, tip to J ert1,alen1. ·· \\i co11cer11i 11g the collcct1on tor tl1 a111t , ') I l1a\ c given orli r t tl1 cht1rchc at Galatia. c, e ll · c.I o \ 'c p ll the t 1 r ~ t d, l) 1 t the \\. eek. let C\ e1 one of ) l tl t1, b h1111 1n storl~. a~ (10ll hdth prl1\11c1 t:LI J1i111, tl1~1t thctt: be no gathc11L1gs \\ hen I t.0111c. u L 111 is a, 111g a tl1~ l... ortl l1t1~ l)lcs CLI ' Olt , 11t>l 111, \ )lt1 titl1 , l1t1l l1erc t\ ·111 offeri11g \Vh1cl1 g\.1 s 1,1 tl1e J t)()r sa1nt at Jcrt1 'll e111 . Bring it (Continued inside back cover) Page 7 , NOVEMBER 19 6