The movement of our money is an expression of what we value.  Jesus said in Luke 12:34,“34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  
In other words, whatever you and I move our money towards indicates the direction of our hearts.  For most people, money itself is rarely the treasure.  The treasure lies in what money can be exchanged for.  You and I exchange money for what we desire.
  • If I desire a Porche then I move my money toward a car dealership.
  • If I desire missionaries spreading the gospel then I move my money toward the missions agency.
Proverbs 11:4 says, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” The way that we move our money indicates if we value God and His righteousness more than things (which is extremely valuable) or it shows that we value things more than God (which is spiritually deadly). 
Canyon Bible Church of Verde Valley has the highest giving per person of any church that I’ve ever worked for.  I have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of the people in this local church.  They are counter-cultural.  It reminds me of the generosity we see in the New Testament church.
Some of the New Testament believers were so excited about showing their love for the Lord Jesus and spreading the gospel that they gave sacrificially in the midst of their poverty.  In your notes, let’s read what Paul said about the Macedonians in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “8 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme povertyhave overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
In Verse 2 it says that the Macedonians gave out of their abundance of Joy.  In their abundance of joy, a tithe wouldn’t constrain them.  {10%? Are you kidding? We’ll blow that out of the water!} Jesus was so valuable to them, they were willing to use their money as an expression of worship to show other people the infinite value of His worth.  Consider this implication:  When somebody can say, “A poor man paid for me to come tell you about Jesus,” then that sacrificial gift makes the message of Jesus appear even more valuable.
A tithe of 10% is a helpful place to start.  It’s a way to show through the movement of your money, that the people of God are valuable to you.  Historically, a tithe has been a tool to get people started on a path of generosity.  If you imagine a racetrack, a tithe is the starting block, not the finish line.  It is the training ground where we begin to launch into the mindset and skills and habits associated with using our money the way that God intended it to be used.

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Mark Stafford

Senior Pastor