Giving Is Worship
The writer of Hebrews shows us that the priesthood of Jesus Christ is superior to the Levitical priesthood. One important way that this superiority is demonstrated is the tithe that Abraham paid to Melchizedek after his victory over the Canaanite kings (see Ge 14:18–20). In a similar way, the writer of Hebrews identifies offerings as an important way of attributing honor and worship (or anything else for that matter) to God. The same holds true for us today. We are called to worship God persuasively with our possessions.
Theologian Mark Allan Powell talks about giving as worship.
Many people seem to think that the reason we have an offering during the Sunday morning service is that the church needs to pay its bills and also wants to do good things with the money that is collected. Your church does need to pay its bills, and it probably does do good things with the money you put in the offering plate … but that is not why we have an offering during the Sunday morning service.
The offering is an act of worship, an instance in which we are invited to give up something that we value—our money—as a sacrifice to God. In many ways, it is the high point of the liturgy. We come to church to worship God and at no other point in the service are we provided with so pure an opportunity for worship as this …
We are invited to put money in the offering plate on Sunday morning not because the church needs our money but because we want and need to give it. We have a spiritual need to worship God, and through our offerings, we are able to express our love and devotion to God in a way that is simple and sincere. The motivation of the giver is what counts most, not the size of the gift or the degree of benefit to the recipient (see Mk 12:42–44). The good news of stewardship is that church offerings are not fund-raising rituals but acts of worship in which we are invited to express our heartfelt devotion to the God who is so good to us.
And author Randy Alcorn discusses the corporate nature of giving as worship.
By giving, we enter into and participate in the grace of Christ. We worship. By giving in concert with our brothers and sisters in Christ’s body, we jointly worship him, moved by each others’ example and mutual participation. In the building of the tabernacle, the building of the temple, and repair of the temple, it was the corporate involvement of the community of saints in which the spirit of God moved so dramatically to produce extravagant giving. The same was true with the New Testament saints of Jerusalem in the early chapters of Acts and those in Macedonia spoken of in 2 Corinthians 8.
Think About It
- How is Jesus even greater than Melchizedek and the Levitical priesthood?
- Do you approach giving to God as something you want and need to do?
- In what ways does giving together with other believers enhance corporate worship?
Pray About It
God, thank you for your good gifts to me, for giving me everything I need, desire, and like to have. I pray that I will worship you fully by giving back to you with a joyful and loving heart.
Replies
As stated in our reading, “Many people seem to think that the reason we have an offering during the Sunday morning service is that the church needs to pay its bills and also wants to do good things with the money that is collected”. I thought the same things for years, listening to others, being persuaded by there thoughts and beliefs, so I tagged alone right with them. Until God said, Whatever you do; Do it unto Me. My God, so when I give, pay tithes, preach, gather together, teach it’s all unto God. When we understand that all we do is for God’s glory and if our heart is not right, it’s not in that direction we should hold off until it gets there.
Psalm 126:5-6
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Another point in our reading; “The offering is an act of worship, an instance in which we are invited to give up something that we value—our money—as a sacrifice to God. In many ways, it is the high point of the liturgy. We come to church to worship God and at no other point in the service are we provided with so pure an opportunity for worship as this …Now with my newness in God, through God, I can’t wait to give, and now knowing it’s a form of worship, I will definitely give with a new aspect, a new mind-set. Hallelujah!! In addition as the scripture says, that will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth; the truth is giving without grudging, giving from the heart. Doing the Whole...
John 4:23
Amen... Thanks for the clarity
AMEN we all should be cheerful givers of GOD in everything we do because GOD is always a cheerful giver to us AMEN.
We are to give of our time, talents and gifts , everything we have belongs to God. Tithing builds the Kingdom and we should be cheerful givers....
Melchizedek Is A Type Of Christ/King
His name means: My King is Righteous
Position: King and Priest
Work: Minister to Abraham
Genealogy: Endless
this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God]. 7 Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one. (It’s saying Levi the fourth generation was giving his tithes to Melchizedek because he was still in the lions of Abraham).
Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he [b]lives on [perpetually]. “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind or regret it, ‘You (Christ) are a Priest forever’”). It states the lesser person is always is blessed by the greater one. Jesus Christ our Great High Priest is eternal heavenly and righteous, worshiped God the father by giving His very life for the human race, the ultimate gift and as a result we are blessed with the gift of eternal life and Jesus is in heaven who now receives our gift of worship on every level.
because of the oath’s greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].
Giving is Worship
I agree with this topic that we are to give our time talents, and treasures. All three are a part of worship and we don't have to give, we get to give!
Tithing helps to build up the Kingdom of God.
Amen, bless you, Pastor Robin, and Evangelist Bobie, this is some powerful and awesome responses. Pastor Robin, you stated that: We purchase things such as food, clothes etc and does God not supply when we don’t have and could you imagine how much more He would give when we give. This is a relationship and in the natural, we are not going to give and give while the other take and take. Sooner or later the one doing all the taking will have to experience a season of dryness, go without until they understand the meaning of giving. Why do you think the Kingdom Believers, lack in this department? Why do you think we as Leaders, Kingdom Believers, and his chosen worry about everything else, then doing right by God? What do you think we can do as a whole, in the Body of Christ/Tabernacle of God? How would our lives change and shift out of poverty, if we follow God's word correctly?
EVANGELIST BOBIE SMITH said:
AMEN PASTOR ROBIN YES I FEEL SO GOOD WHEN I HAVE SOMETHING TO INVEST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. FOR WE ARE WORK AND GIVE UNTO GOD AND NOT UNTO MAN THAT'S THE WORD AND WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY to invest in his work. Kingdom money yes
Pastor Robin Albright said:
AMEN give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over. It is better to give that it is to receive. The Lord requires only 10% of our first fruit. The more we give the more GOD will give to us. When we give to GOD it is to build the KINGDOM of God.
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