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Proverbs 3:9–10; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:21–24; 1 Corinthians 16:1–2
Have you ever been around someone with a generous spirit? In Elan Church's annual message on personal finances, Pastor Max Lyons explains why the church talks openly about money, not because it wants something from you but because it wants something for you. He lays out the biblical foundation for the tithe as the starting point of generosity, answers common objections, and challenges everyone to put God first, steward the other ninety percent well, and give generously.
Key takeaways
- The Bible contains more than 2,300 verses on money and possessions, and Jesus spoke about money more than heaven and hell combined, so disciples cannot avoid the subject.
- When you honor God with the first, He blesses the rest; the tithe is the first ten percent, and most Christians tip God rather than tithe.
- Tithing came before the law, was in the law, and was affirmed by Jesus, who called it basic while pointing to the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith.
- The tithe is a test taken every payday that reveals who or what is first in your life, and anything less relies on your own power rather than God's.
- Put God first, become a great steward of the other ninety percent, and give generously, because leaders may eat last but they always give first.
Message notes
A generous friend and a stingy church
Pastor Max opens with a friend from his first job in New York City who grabbed every restaurant bill before anyone could stop him. Eleven years later that friend sold his company and, unprompted, made two major gifts to help start Elan Church. By contrast, Pastor Max once visited a stingy church where everyone, pastor included, was miserable. When Elan launched, one pastor advised him never to talk about money. But the Bible has 2,350 verses on money and possessions, and Jesus spoke about money more than heaven and hell combined. God’s Word is offensive; it leads either to repentance or to rebellion. Elan decided early that it would never be a stingy church, making stewardship a core value.
Not from you, but for you
Elan talks about money because it wants something for you, not from you. Most Americans live in financial bondage, with 80 percent living paycheck to paycheck and 60 percent unable to cover a $1,000 emergency. Proverbs 22 says the borrower is slave to the lender, and that is not God’s design. The church gave everyone two free gifts: Rob Ketterling’s book The Generous Life and a church-wide license to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Giving is a heart issue; God is not after your money but your heart. Being a pastor, he tells a gym friend, is less like sales and more like running a gym where people can put in the work and get healthy.
Generosity starts with putting God first
Anywhere you put God first you will be blessed, whether the Sabbath, your marriage, or your finances. Proverbs 3:9 says to honor the Lord with the firstfruits, and then your barns will overflow. The tithe means ten percent, yet the average Christian gives 2.5 percent. Twenty dollars from a thousand is not a tithe but a tip. Pastor Max and Juliet bring a full tithe on their gross income and have done so at every church they have attended. Quoting Luke 16 and Randy Alcorn, he calls the tithe training wheels for generosity.
Test God
Malachi 3:10 is the only place God says test me. Elan makes it easy: tithe for 90 days, and if you regret it, email Pastor Max and the church will refund everything. Sir John Templeton observed greater prosperity among tithing families, and a bookkeeper who analyzed hundreds of church budgets found that churches giving away ten percent or more were healthy and growing, which is why Elan itself gives away ten percent. Tithing answers the question, do you trust God? “Give to God what is right, not what is left.”
Common objections
Was tithing only under the law? Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before the law, Leviticus 27 commands it in the law, and Jesus affirms it in Matthew 23 while pointing to justice, mercy, and faith. Are you a New Testament giver? Jesus always went further than the law: Zacchaeus gave half, and the rich young ruler was told to sell everything. Cain brought some of his produce in the course of time while Abel brought the firstborn. Genesis highlights Abel’s offering of the firstborn and choice portions of his flock; it does not specify that he gave a tenth. The emphasis here is on honoring God with our best. Can’t afford it? You can never afford to tithe until you tithe. The number ten in Scripture represents testing, and the tithe is a test we take every payday. Paul in 1 Corinthians 16 calls for regular, consistent giving, which is why Elan recommends a recurring gift through the Elan Church app.
An honest question
If every Christian tithed, churches would have an additional 139 billion dollars a year, enough to eliminate extreme poverty. Pastor Max dreams of Elan being the most generous church on the planet. He asks everyone who calls Elan home to be honest: if everyone gave like you, what would Elan look like? Christianity is not a spectator sport, and no one can serve both God and money.
Three next steps
First, put God first by returning the first ten percent to your local church; if you are visiting, tithe where you belong. Second, become a great steward of the other ninety percent through Financial Peace University and The Generous Life. Third, give generously. Ahead of next week’s Heart for the House offering, Pastor Max shares that he and Juliet will give 15 percent of their income to Elan for the next twelve months: the tithe plus five percent above and beyond. Leaders may eat last, but they always give first. He asks everyone to ask God what to bring, believing God will do a miracle whose fruit will last for generations.
