As a pastor, there’s one topic I absolutely hate preaching about. So before I share it with you, allow me to ease into it by first sharing something else with you.
Probably one of the most frustrating topics any pastor can preach on is the issue of pride. The reason why this is such a frustrating topic is because who really needs to hear a message on pride? The proud people, right? But if you’re proud, are you really going to listen? I mean let’s be real about this for a minute. It doesn’t really make sense, because the people you’re speaking to, the proud people, they’re probably going, “That’s not me, I don’t need to hear this, I’m not proud.” So, they’re most probably not going to listen anyway.
Now whether you are proud or not, would you mind if I ask you to please be open to the possibility that you might just be one of the proud people. Would you be open to the possibility that you might just be the most arrogant, the proudest person reading this blogpost right now? And if so that you need to read this message more than anyone else? And if you can’t be open to this, let me just solve one mystery for you, if you’re not open to the possibility of maybe being proud, then you most probably are proud.
Now I know this is a frustrating topic. Simply because no one wants to admit to it. But here’s the thing, pride is one of those things that I actually struggle with personally. It’s one of many things I personally struggle with. And what got to me was the fact that like most people I didn’t take it seriously for a very long time. Simply because pride is one of those sins that no one really takes seriously. And that doesn’t sit too well with God I believe. In fact, in Proverbs 16:5 we read that; 5 Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the LORD… Some versions substitute detestable with words like abomination, hate and even disgust. Now think about it, if pride is something that God hates, that God finds detestable, an abomination, something that disgusts Him. Shouldn’t it be a concern for us as well? Personally, I don’t want God looking at me and immediately looking away because the condition of my heart is something, He finds disgusting. And I don’t believe for one second anyone of you want God to look away when He sees you, and think, this child of mine is someone, I find so detestable because of the condition of his or her own heart.
And yet even though I just confessed to you that I struggle with pride, I wonder how many of you went, “ugh!?” But if I had to confess in a sermon that I struggle with lust, you would be concerned, wouldn’t you? You would go, “ugh!” Most woman would say to their husbands, “We’re never coming back to this church, right? Not as long as they have a pervert for a pastor!” Now lust isn’t one of my issues, neither is it something I struggle with. But people find lust a more distasteful sin than pride. People find lust disgusting. But when I mention pride many people think, “uhm who doesn’t?” Yet the problem with pride is that pride is all about me, myself, and I. Whereas we were placed on earth to shine a light on and glorify God.
To understand what this looks like in the real world, let’s listen to a story told by Luke in His Gospel. It’s found in Luke 14:1-6; 1 One Sabbath, when He went to eat at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, they were watching Him closely. 2 There in front of Him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. (This tells us immediately that this invitation was a setup. Not only was Jesus invited, but they also invited a man who had a physical ailment. They wanted to see what Jesus would do.) And so, we read in verse 3 that in response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” (Now keep in mind that the religious leaders added many laws and customs and traditions to God’s original law. So much so that by the time Jesus arrived on the scene these oral laws were just as, if not more important to the Jews than God’s original laws and His intend behind them. That’s why Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But look at their response.) 4 … they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 And to them, He said, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 To this they could find no answer.
I mean, come on, if your son or daughter fell into a well, what would you do? Tell them to tread water until the Sabbath was over? No of course not. What about one of your animals? Would you let that animal die, just because it’s on a Sabbath? Of course not. But these religious leaders didn’t know how to answer the one who gave them these laws to begin with. Imagine if someone who was physically sick came forward for prayer on a Sunday morning, and God healed him right there and then. How would you react? I mean you just witnessed a miracle. I’d bet you’d be up, out of your seat, praising God, shouting hallelujah and simple going crazy. But not these men. They were so uncomfortable because their pride kept them from acknowledging the obvious. Something extraordinary happened in their midst.
Here’s the point I’m trying to make; “pride, the me, myself, and I attitude keeps us from obeying God.” So many people read a passage of Scripture. Or they listen to a sermon where a passage of scripture is explained. And then they decide that they don’t agree. They know better. They see it differently. Or my favorite, they tell everyone, “God will understand.” And I’m not talking about difficult passages that can be interpreted in more than one way. Or even where you need to tread carefully in order to not be on the side of error. I know people might and probably will argue with me about this blog. People might even tell me not to be so legalistic. But to quote C.S Lewis, “obedience isn’t legalism it’s a symptom of salvation.” And if there’s one thing that I believe in is absolute obedience. It’s not always easy, in fact I don’t always like being obedient. But with Jesus as our example I’ve learned one thing, back in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus also didn’t like what God wanted Him to do. Yet, He concluded His prayer with this powerful statement, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”
When most people read something in the Bible that requires obedience, Leonard Ravenhill said, that is when they call it legalism. So yes obedience isn’t always easy, we might not like being obedient, and it might even come at a great personal cost, but as Christians we know that obedience will always be rewarded.
This brings me to the topic I absolutely dread speaking on the most, tithing. If you google tithing you will find a diverse array of opinions about it on the internet. In fact, the most popular one is that tithing is Old Testament and we’re New Testament believers, and since God speaks about tithing in the Mosaic law, and we’re no longer under the law but under grace, we don’t have to tithe.
Unfortunately, that’s NOT true. We find tithing as a way of saying “thank you,” long before the nation of Israel even existed. Long before Moses was even born. For example, after Abram was successful in battle, we read in Genesis 14:18, 19; 18 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 20 and I give praise to God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. A couple of chapters later in Gen 28:20-22 we read of Jacob spending the night at a place he called Bethel. Just listen to what Jacob said in a vow he made towards God, we read as follows; 20 “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God. 22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to You a tenth of all that You give me.”
The only thing God did with this principle of saying thank you was to incorporate it into various laws when He gave them to Moses. And one of those laws was for the upkeep of the temple and those who serve in the temple on God’s behalf. And that principle has never changed. That’s why pastor’s, myself included, love reading passages like, Malachi 3:10 when we invite people to give their tithes, because it says; 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. Not only does this passage explains why this principle still applies, “so that there may be food in My house.” Meaning your tithes keeps churches’ doors open. But it makes it possible for pastors to look after people spiritually and physically. That’s why we find Paul reminding the church in Corinth of the following in 1 Corinthians 9:13, 14; 13 Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. Let’s be honest, this is as clear as it gets. This is explained as simple as possible. Just like the principle was found in the Old Testament where Israel’s tithes went towards the temple and those who served in the temple. In the same way we, even under the new covenant, we have to tithe for the upkeep and day to day activities of our church. And yes, that includes the salaries of your pastor as well. Personally, what I love about this passage in Malachi the most, is that it comes with a dare, “Test Me in this way,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”
Allow me to address just one more thing. Many people, when they want to argue about tithing, love to quote 2 Corinthians 9:7; 7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart – not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. To those, all I can say is please go and read the context. The context clearly states that Paul was talking about a special offering being taken up for the church back in Jerusalem that was suffering. That passage has got nothing to do with tithing or paying your tithes. So in closing, think about this, most people in full time ministry, are able to minister and do the Lord’s work because of those who faithfully pay their tithes. People who show their gratitude because they are grateful to God for their salvation, that He bought them with His life, and because He expects His children to be obedient. C.S. Lewis said, “You do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but you have lost love because you never attempted obedience.”