VAN BUREN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1 Corinthians 8:1-7
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER Matthew 6:16-24
MARCH 30, 2008
"Survival Skill #5: Disciplines: Fasting and Tithing"
Mighty God, whose Son Jesus broke bonds of death and scattered the powers of darkness:
arm us with such faith in him that, facing evil and death, we may overcome as he overcame,
Jesus Christ, our hope and our redeemer. Amen.
Can you feel it? I think the tension in the room has risen a few degrees. The pastor has read a
scripture talking about giving and the sermon title includes the word tithing. Here comes the sermon
that wants us to give more money to the church.
Take a deep breath. Relax. I’m not asking you to give more money. Maybe you’ll decide to give
more, but that isn’t what I’m about today. I have no idea what any of you give, and I have no desire to
know. I know the giving habits of only one family, and that’s because I write out the checks.
The sermon this morning is focusing on spiritual disciplines, and in particular two of those
disciplines: Fasting and tithing.
How many of you gave something up for Lent? (You would have heard this sermon during Lent if
it hadn’t been for that Sunday when we cancelled worship because of the weather.) For a long time
people have given something up for Lent. People give things up because they are doing a spiritual
discipline - in this case a form of fasting.
I want to be clear that the purpose of a Spiritual Discipline is to help one grow closer to God. We
cannot earn salvation or a relationship with God by practicing disciplines. The purpose of a fast, or of
tithing, or any other discipline is not to earn favor with God. The purpose of any discipline is to help
you think of your relationship with God, and to practice some form of sacrifice to grow deeper in your
faith. Think of it as an exercise, like you might do at the gym. As you exercise, you develop muscle
mass and become stronger. You exercise to improve your health. Likewise, we exercise with spiritual
disciplines to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the 18th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells a little parable about two men who go up to the temple to
pray. One is a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. As he prays, the Pharisee boasts that he fasts twice
a week and gives a tenth of all that he gets. The tax collector admits his sin before God. Jesus says
that it is the second man, the one who admits his sin that is forgiven. Jesus was not impressed with the
one who fasted and tithed. Why? Because he fasted and tithed as a way to show that he was better
than the other man, trying to earn his way into God’s favor. He missed the point: disciplines are to
prepare our hearts for God, not to earn his favor.
How many of you fast regularly? Actually all of us could put up our hands to that question. We all
fast every night. That’s why the first meal of the day is called “Breakfast - break - fast”. Of course we
are not fasting as a discipline but as a matter of not eating because, hopefully, we are sleeping.
I only mention it because too often people think fasting is something they could never do. It would
be too hard. How could you go for half a day, or even a whole day without eating? It’s easier than you
may realize. I’ve known people who have fasted for a whole week. The first day or two are the
hardest. More often I know of people who will fast for one day, or fast through lunch as a way to spend
more time in prayer.
Now the purpose of a fast is not to lose weight or to show others how spiritual you are. In fact, in
our gospel lesson this morning we hear Jesus giving some instructions regarding fasting. He said:
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show
men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put
oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only
to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Jesus is telling us that fasting is not for the purpose of impressing others, but rather for us to grow
closer to God. It is an act that originates in the heart and should not be visible to others.
Notice that Jesus said, “When you fast”, not “if you fast”. I don’t believe that Jesus is commanding
us to fast, but there seems to be an expectation that we will fast at some time and in some manner.
That tells us that fasting is not just for monks or pastors or for the really religious people. Fasting is
something that we can all do, and in a sense, we all should do. We all need to deepen our relationship
with Jesus Christ, and fasting is one discipline that can help us to do just that.
In the 13th chapter of Acts the prophets and teachers at Antioch were worshiping and fasting
when they heard the Holy Spirit tell them to set Barnabas and Saul apart for special work. So they
fasted and prayed and placed their hand upon them and sent them off.
In the next chapter after their missionary journey, as they returned, they appointed elders in all
the churches, and with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord.
Fasting can be used as a time of preparation and for seeking guidance. The fasting is to free
time so that you can spend that time in prayer and studying God’s Word. If you don’t use the time
saved from not eating to draw closer to God, then you are just wasting time.
As you read through the Old Testament you will find numerous references to fasting: individual
and as a nation.
In Esther, when the decree was issued which in effect would bring about the destruction of the
Jews, Mordecai begins a fast. He sends word to his niece Esther, who is the queen to interced with the
king on behalf of the Jews. That fact that Esther is of Jewish descent is unknown to the king. And
Esther knows that her approaching the king without being summoned could lead to her death. As she
considers what to do, she enters into a fast and asks Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa and to
fast for her for three days. Esther and her maids would fast as well. This fast was in preparation for
her going to the king.
There were time of individual and corporate repentance. Often accompanied by fasting. This was
an act to demonstrate the sincerity of the repentance. When the his illegitimate child born of
Bathsheba was dying, King David fasted before the Lord.
When you fast, fast in order to deepen your walk with Christ. Do it in a manner in which others will
not be aware. You may need to let others know what you are doing so that they can support you, but
never reveal it as a way of earning the praises of others. I encourage you to try fasting once in a
while. Don’t fast for long periods of time. It may not be good for your health. Fast through a lunch
period, or maybe for one day. Be sure to drink plenty of water and maybe even have a few crackers
every few hours so that your body doesn’t react. But when you do fast, use the time that you would
normally spend preparing your food and the time you would spend eating and spend it in prayer,
meditation and study.
In our Gospel lesson Jesus also speaks about treasures - or in other words...money. He tells us
not to store up treasures here on earth, but in heaven. For where your treasure is, there you heart will
be. And our reading finished with Jesus saying that we can not serve two masters: God and money.
We have to choose one over the other.
Jesus wants us to keep the proper perspective on money. There is nothing evil about money.
Money is there for us to use, but it should not be what motivates us or guides us in life. Money is a
tool, not the goal.
In our lesson this morning from 2 Corinthians, Paul is speaking to his readers about completing an
offering they started the year before. The offering was to help the poor members of the church in
Jerusalem. Some had lost their employment because of their acceptance of Christ. There were
widows and orphans the church looked after. Usually, widows and orphans were left to fend for
themselves on the streets, but the Christians felt responsible for each other and helped one another.
If you read on in verse 10 you find out that it was the believers at Corinth who had the first desire
to give this offering to their sisters and brothers in Jerusalem. But during the past year their eagerness
had cooled and they had become very lax. Paul tells them of how much the poor churches in
Macedonia had given so much more than the Corinthians. The Corinthians were rich, the
Macedonians were poor. But out of their poverty welled up their rich generosity.
Paul’s concern was not so much the amount that was given as to the condition of the heart of the
givers. The Corinthian believers had gotten caught up in the midst of silly, petty controversies. They
had lost their spiritual focus. Instead of concentrating on items of spiritual importance, they were
arguing about a lot of little things... like who was more important, those who came to Christ under Paul’
s preaching, or those under Apollos’s teaching. Their had lost the proper focus.
Paul tells the Corinthians that what made the gift of the Macedonians so rich was the condition of
their hearts when the gift was given. In verse 5 he writes: “And they did not do as we expected, but
they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.”
They gave themselves first to the Lord. Because they had given themselves firstly and
completely to the Lord, the offering was the demonstration of their love for God. Their thanksgiving for
the great gift of God’s grace through Christ Jesus. They gave willingly because they gave with thankful
hearts committed to Christ.
You se, it doesn’t matter if you give one dollar or a million dollars, what really matters is whether
you have first given your life to the Lord. The amount doesn’t matter until you have given your heart to
the Lord, and once you have given your heart to the Lord, the proper amount will follow.
In 1 Corinthians 16 Paul instructs the Corinthians on how they should give. He tells them that they
should give systematically, proportionately, and sacrificially. He writes in verse 2: “On the first day of
the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so
that when I come no collections will have to be made.”
The giving should be systematic. Every Sunday some money should be put aside. Systematic
means that it is done with a regular pattern or system. Every payday, once a week, what ever works
for you. But I will add, that I don’t believe it should be any less regular than once a month. In the first
church I served I had an elder who had his secretary prepare 12 checks in January of each year. He
would sign all the checks and then his secretary would mail one each month to the church. I
appreciated his giving ( he may well have been the largest giver) but I was saddened because he
never took the time to think about is giving. It was a task to be done annually and he never had to
think about his giving all year long.
Prepare yourself and give regularly - weekly, every other weekly, twice a month. Give in the
manner that is best for you, but give regularly.
Paul also told them to give proportionately. He told them to give an amount in keeping with their
income. Set aside a percentage of your income. Two percent, five percent, ten percent, fifteen
percent. The amount is between you and God. But it shouldn’t just be a number picked out of the air,
or the same amount given for the past ten years even when your income has increased. If your
income increases, your giving should increase. If your income decreases, then your giving decreases.
Now this is where tithing comes in. Tithing is spoken about often in the Old Testament. The
people of Israel are commanded by God to tithe. In Leviticus 27 and in Numbers 18 the people are told
to bring to the Levites a tithe of all they had. This tithe - or first ten percent- belonged to God.
In Malachi 3:8-10 God calls the people to task because of their failure to honor God. We read:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and
offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the
whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord
Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have room enough for it.”
To tithe means giving the first ten percent of your income to God through the local church. Giving
to para-church organizations comes on top of that. And giving to charities also is on top of the tithe.
When God speaks of the tithe, it is giving to good causes, the tithe is what is owed to God.
There is no commandment in the New Testament saying that Christians have to tithe. Perhaps
Paul thought is was no longer necessary, or perhaps he felt it was such a well known responsibility that
he didn’t have to say anything about it. Whether or not you tithe, give the first ten percent of your
income, is between you and God. But, I do believe Paul is quite clear when he tells us to give
proportionately.
And the third thing we learn from Paul in 1 Corinthians 16 is that our giving should be sacrificial.
In verse 2 he writes “each one of you should set aside a sum of money...” Paul expected each
Christian to give something. It wasn’t just for the rich, but for every person who called upon the name
of Jesus Christ.
And because each one was to give proportionately, each would be called to be challenged in his
or her giving. It shouldn’t be an easy thing, it should include some challenge. It doesn’t mean that you
put yourself in the poor house, but it does mean that you may have to give up or cut back on some
luxury so that you can give to the Lord.
I heard about tithing while I was in college. I was attending college full time and working close to
full time, supporting myself. Money was very tight and I gave regularly, but never felt able to tithe. I
was excited when I finally graduated and was ordained. Now I would have a good income and I could
tithe. But after paying the bills, there never seemed to be enough left to give a tithe of my paycheck.
One day I decided that this was not the way I wanted to live. I felt it was important that I tithe. So I
decided that when I received my paycheck, the first check I wrote would be my tithe to the church. That
first time I gritted my teeth not sure what would happen with the rest of my bills. But at the end of the
month all my bills were paid. Things were very tight at times, but when I put God first, then the other
things seemed to fall in place.
I not asking you to reach deeper in your pockets and give more, or to fast and give the money
you save to the church. Maybe God is convicting you to give more or to spend a day a week in
fasting. That’s between you and God.
What I am asking you to do is to take the living of your faith serious. Don’t let your relationship
with Jesus Christ be something that you take for granted. Involve yourself in spiritual exercise.
Strengthen your spiritual muscles so that you can be strong and live a life that is worthy of your calling
in Christ Jesus.
I started this sermon series on the first Sunday in Lent with Jesus surviving his temptation in the
wilderness. I pray that all these survival skills help you as you face the wilderness of life. And I hope
that you will use them to prepare yourself to be spiritually fit. Exercise those spiritual muscles and be
ready to survive the wilderness, knowing that all your strength is found not in yourself, but in Jesus
Christ our Lord!