Is Tithing Actually Biblical?
Christians are taught that we should be giving 10% of everything we earn to the church. Is the practice of tithing still in effect for us today, or is it time to reconsider this practice?
This week on the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’ll look at the truth about tithing. Is it biblical? Are we under-giving or over-giving if we are tithing, and how might we give in light of the gospel?
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- The three types of tithes God mandated Israel to give in the Law.
- How tithes and offerings were used in the Old Testament.
- What Jesus taught about giving and how it reflects our hearts.
- How the Gospel informs our giving and support of the Church today.
From this episode:
“Empowered by God working within us, we’re now called, like our Lord Jesus, to lay down our lives for others. This includes sacrificially giving of ourselves—our time, possessions, talents… our plans—out of love for God and for others.”
Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.
Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others…
Thanks for Listening!
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Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Coaching with Caesar and Tina in discipleship and missional living.
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Discipleship and Missional Resources
Transcript
I wanna say this, that if you're a part of a community, a church community, and they're looking out for you spiritually, and they're covering you, you're getting taught and blessed and you know that they're giving, they're laying their lives down.
Caesar Kalinowski:They could be in business, they could have other types of, they're lying their life down in preferences to serve you and your family.
Caesar Kalinowski:then I think just outta love and compulsion you then yeah, you should be giving like how much that's between you and God.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's, that's a heart issue there again, let the tithe be your tutor.
Caesar Kalinowski:I don't, I don't think if someone is really, like, seriously being a spiritual parent in your life or parents in your life and, and you're learning how to make disciples in your, you know, in all of life and you're blessed and the gospel's being washed over you.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're just there and they're a part of your life and all that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Why would, that's your family.
Caesar Kalinowski:You, of course, would want to take care of your family, so, yeah, exactly.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, don't ask, how much am I supposed to give?
Caesar Kalinowski:How?
Caesar Kalinowski:How much can I give?
Heath Hollensbe:Welcome to the Everyday Disciple Podcast, where you'll learn how to live with greater intentionality and an integrated.
Heath Hollensbe:That naturally
Heath Hollensbe:fits into every area of life.
Heath Hollensbe:In other words, discipleship as a lifestyle.
Heath Hollensbe:This is the stuff your parents, pastors and seminary professors probably forgot to tell you.
Heath Hollensbe:And now here's your host, Caesar Kalinowski.
Heath Hollensbe:Yeah, I was gonna ask you like, you ever get cold around here?
Heath Hollensbe:Cause I know you grew up in Chicago and you know the, I've been to Chicago in the winter where it's just that wind whipping off the water.
Heath Hollensbe:There
Caesar Kalinowski:is, yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:I can remember like seriously, we're like weeks and weeks and weeks of below zero.
Caesar Kalinowski:Really not windchill, but like No, the temperature's like minus four.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's minus six.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's one, it's minus one for weeks and weeks.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, I can get cold here now, but.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, you kind of acclimate after a while.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:I was gonna ask, but not really.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like even like, you know, I'll, I'll joke, like we used to call it like the hawk, you know, like when it's like zero and the wind's blowing 30 miles an hour.
Caesar Kalinowski:So we call it the hawk.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:The hawk's out.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:So here the hawk is like when we get to 43.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And it's a little breezy and you know, maybe, which is what it hasn't.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:The wind gets you.
Caesar Kalinowski:So No, I don't gets, I feel like if I start complaining about cold, I just go, but it ain't Chicago, you know?
Caesar Kalinowski:So now when you
Heath Hollensbe:get back into like the teens or the zeros, is it like, ah, it's good to be home?
Heath Hollensbe:Or is it like, oh, this is.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's brutal.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's brutal and I feel like, wow, I'm wearing all the things I remember wearing for most of my adult, you know, whole life, . Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like layers of layers of stuff and scarves and gloves and even hats I hate and I wear hat, you know?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:I don't know, but , I no complaints out here in the old p n dub man.
Caesar Kalinowski:So
Heath Hollensbe:beautiful.
Heath Hollensbe:Hey, uh, today we're talking about tithing, which is a.
Caesar Kalinowski:A switch speaking?
Caesar Kalinowski:Is it everybody's favorite thing or hated thing?
Caesar Kalinowski:What do you think?
Caesar Kalinowski:I don't, I have no idea, like we're gonna cover it,
Heath Hollensbe:but depends if you're a pastor or a layperson,
Heath Hollensbe:, Caesar Kalinowski: there's whole, there's a whole industry of gurus that will consult your church on how to get that tithe up.
Heath Hollensbe:isn't that crazy.
Heath Hollensbe:There is,
Heath Hollensbe:you know, I feel like anytime I invite somebody to a, to a local church, it's always on giving.
Heath Hollensbe:It just is that week where it's like,
Caesar Kalinowski:do, do you know what I mean?
Caesar Kalinowski:Just to sort of set the table here, do, I don't know exactly what it is, but when I, when I had to know cuz I was on lead team at a giant church Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:That took in millions a year.
Caesar Kalinowski:The national average, at least here in the States, and I know we have listeners all over the place.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, the national average of people.
Caesar Kalinowski:Tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it looks like they're given something maybe around, you know, you can't really tell exactly what someone makes, but you can kind, you know.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, was about 5% of regular church attenders, like people who Oh, wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:Totally into it.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're showing up, they're part of it.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're setting up chairs.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're in ministry, you know what I mean?
Caesar Kalinowski:They're not giving 5%.
Caesar Kalinowski:This is like 5%.
Caesar Kalinowski:About 5% of the people who are serious Christians tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:. The rest are, and I think now, the last time I heard that, that was like several years ago.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, like several years ago.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I think it's, I think it's in the right around the four.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just a tick under four range these days.
Caesar Kalinowski:I mean, everybody else is either tipping Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Or they just don't.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, so it's like it's an issue.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And uh, and, and it's also a demographic thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Older Christians tend to still tithe, they've always tithed, they were taught to tithe Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:They give, they tithe, they're faithful.
Caesar Kalinowski:They find blessing in that.
Caesar Kalinowski:They've learned, you know, the maturity of that and they do it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and because it's so awkward too.
Caesar Kalinowski:A lot of leaders and a lot of churches, they never want to talk about it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Until it's a huge problem.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're like, you guys aren't given, you know, now we gotta You're robbing God.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Heath Hollensbe:So this 10% thing, like I've, I grew up my whole life as well going to church and 10% I was, when I remember when I got my first job, my mom's like, Hey, remember 10% aside for God every week?
Heath Hollensbe:Mm-hmm.
Heath Hollensbe:, uh, 10% was a starting point where maybe you could fill some with a little bit of a history of where this concept of tithing even comes from.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, you're like, wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, prove it right away.
Caesar Kalinowski:Please.
Caesar Kalinowski:Can we just end this shortest episode ever?
Caesar Kalinowski:Could you just prove it's not just start sending your emails Biblical or something?
Caesar Kalinowski:Turn it off.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Hey, we're cool to get your emails
Caesar Kalinowski:as long as you listen to the episode.
Caesar Kalinowski:How's that?
Caesar Kalinowski:You're right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That is a thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Send us emails.
Caesar Kalinowski:A lot of people just blast us on the title.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, don't do that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Oh, listen guys, you're hearing it now.
Caesar Kalinowski:You can blast us on.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's the people that just see the title posted on Facebook, you know, and they blast us.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, well let's take a little time to look at that, but, but, um, I really wanna spend our time focusing on the heart behind.
Caesar Kalinowski:what and why tithing even happened.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:And why we get to still live generously today.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, and we'll look at tithes and offerings that the Israelites participated in as part of the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:But in fact, we, uh, we see a pattern of people bringing God offerings way before there was a law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's like, I don't have a hundred percent answer here today for everybody as to why, but like, think about it, the first family, Adam and Eve, their kids, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:, we hear the story of Cain and Abel bringing their offerings that they had set aside offerings of their work, a portion of their work, their labors right to God, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, and by the way, there's no indication that God asked them.
Caesar Kalinowski:It just says they did, they set it aside.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was like it was cultural or it was their heart first family.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's really early.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Way on.
Caesar Kalinowski:Doesn't say how much though, but still this idea of like, Hey, God's great.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're grateful for a lot of stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:Let's just show 'em, you know, like, right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, and so if, if you know the story of Cain and Abel, it's, it's, uh, Adam and Eve's two sons, right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cain the older, enables the younger, and Cain is, A farmer an Abel is a shepherd, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:And so it says that they at, you know, at harvest time, they brought some of their gifts and.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cain Cain in his offering was not accepted by God.
Caesar Kalinowski:God rejected it, but Abel's offering was.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:And it's weird because I've heard, and probably our listeners have to a ton of really way off the mark sermons about like, well, why was that?
Caesar Kalinowski:Well cuz it wasn't meat and God knew there was gonna be a sacrifice and had meat and, well, I, no, it doesn't say any of that anywhere in there.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, it also actually never says it was the, you know, it was the gift so much.
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and there's a clue in that because God, Ask Cain, Hey, why do you look so downtrodden?
Caesar Kalinowski:Why are you so bummed?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, cuz after you know, he says, won't you be accepted?
Caesar Kalinowski:If you do, what is right.
Caesar Kalinowski:The implication being you knew like, I didn't ask for this.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:And you didn't bring it in a right heart.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:And how do we know that?
Caesar Kalinowski:Because in Hebrews 11, verse four, it says, by an act of faith, check out that keyword.
Caesar Kalinowski:Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain.
Caesar Kalinowski:Didn't say his sacrifice was better, but by an act of faith, he did.
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was what he believed, not what he brought that made the difference.
Caesar Kalinowski:Wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:And that's what God noticed and approved as righteous it says, you know, and so after all those centuries, That belief continues to catch our notice.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, oh, it has to do with faith.
Caesar Kalinowski:By faith.
Caesar Kalinowski:He was commended as righteous when God spoke well of, of uh, Abel's offerings.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so it's key that we realize first off, you know, some people say, well, that's the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're not under the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:We'll talk about that.
Caesar Kalinowski:But there was actually giving, and God noticed and God responded prior to the law Do, I've
Heath Hollensbe:never heard it in the sense of like Abel, bringing a better sacrifice because it was a sacrifice brought by faith.
Heath Hollensbe:Yeah, I always thought.
Heath Hollensbe:The items that
Caesar Kalinowski:were brought.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's what it's always taught because of the whole do to be Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:distortion.
Caesar Kalinowski:Gosh, isn't it crazy?
Caesar Kalinowski:But it's not there.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's amazing.
Caesar Kalinowski:And you know, and I think it's clear in Genesis, but then Hebrews 11, four com, you know, commentary basically on the whole scripture.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hebrews is like my favorite book.
Caesar Kalinowski:I think that's great.
Caesar Kalinowski:I really, I think it is because it kind of explains everything else.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, you thought it meant this, it means this . Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so, and then you see it's like it's improved as righteous.
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:. And, and remember we talked about in a few episodes back that the word righteous in Hebrew is, is like as a cousin, it's like the same root.
Caesar Kalinowski:Justice.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Absolutely.
Caesar Kalinowski:And I mean, they both mean to like, to restore.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's the right thing, it's the original thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Righteousness is the way we are created it to be with God in trust in faith.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's, it's actually a huge Gospel statement, really.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, absolutely, ma, I've never seen that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's great.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, so let's look further now into the pattern of tithing and gift giving that we see in the Old Testament.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay, great.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and I'm gonna start actually bef again before the law was given to Moses, we.
Caesar Kalinowski:Uh, and before the tithe was introduced as law, we see Abraham and Jacob and others actually giving portions and often says like a tithe or a, some sort of a 10% designation to God.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:And I don't, we don't have time.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're rocking through this today, but people can go and check out Genesis 14, Genesis 28, you can see all that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So you got, you know, father Abraham had many sons mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:and he still, he gave a tithe, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:But it wasn't commanded thing he.
Caesar Kalinowski:And we see, we see the same thing with Jacob anyway.
Caesar Kalinowski:So now let's get to the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Old Testament people say like, well, you know, in the New Testament there's no tithing.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, you know, we're we, you know, I was like, well, you wanna go back to the Old Testament standard?
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, people say like, like brand new to your church.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, hey here.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, we don't worry about the whole New Testament thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:We go Old Testament, you know, just to make sure we're accurate.
Caesar Kalinowski:There was three different tithe they gave.
Caesar Kalinowski:I always tell people, go for that if you want.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jump in so briefly.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:In the Old Testament, which, you know, everybody, hopefully, if you're listening, you know, like that's the kind of the first part of the Bible, about two thirds.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was written before the Birth of Christ.
Caesar Kalinowski:It describes three different types of tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:Tithes, 10% offerings that the Jewish people were called or even commanded to give.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they are, there's one that's called Levitical or the Sacred Tithe, and then I'll unpack.
Caesar Kalinowski:Levitical has to do with Leviticus and, and the priesthood that were basically running the temple and handling all the sacrificial system.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they gave a tithe through that they were commanded to.
Caesar Kalinowski:There was the feast tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like to bring, bring a, you know, have a tithe to fund the party schedule.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:All the feasts and festivals that God had and then there was a tithe for the poor and the needy.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So now , let's just look at these real quick.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:So that Levitical tithe got tithe was a big one.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's first found in Leviticus, uh, another book, in the old Testament.
Caesar Kalinowski:And in Leviticus, God not only created everything on.
Caesar Kalinowski:, but he also technically owned it.
Caesar Kalinowski:You gotta understand that, by the way.
Caesar Kalinowski:Uh, j Jewish people saw everything as God's.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:It wasn't like, oh, this is mine.
Caesar Kalinowski:Do I want to give some of it to God?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's, it's God's sure how much would I keep back?
Caesar Kalinowski:Absolutely.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I love that because right away that's gonna start to change our heart around, oh, should I tithe them?
Caesar Kalinowski:I not supposed to, do I have to, do I get to, am I, you know, I bad if I don't, is God not?
Caesar Kalinowski:Wait a minute, if, if you like Jew early jews, God owns it.
Caesar Kalinowski:and he just lets us use it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Then it's not a matter of how much am I giving back to God?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's like, how much am I gonna keep to myself Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Of his stuff, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Correct.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they kind of, that's how they saw tithing.
Caesar Kalinowski:The Hebrew people were expected to give back 10% of their earnings to help support the people who did God's work.
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:. And that was namely at that point a tribe within, you know, the Hebrew tribes, the 12 tribes called Levites.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Levites were the Jewish priests that, you know, spread the word of God and performed various ceremonies and.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're the ones who took all the offerings and managed that whole thing, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so the, the, you know, Jewish people, Hebrews, they, they really saw that Levitical tithe, there's a contract with God.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:And it was, it was a big deal.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Now that's the first one.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Some people compare that to like paying.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know.
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, that's why you give to your church cuz they're doing services.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's a little different.
Caesar Kalinowski:We don't have a levitical, you know, thing going on anymore.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're not doing sacrificial system.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's, it's a little bit different.
Caesar Kalinowski:We'll talk about that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:The second tithe that, uh, is in the Old Testament that the Israelites gave was, was called the feast tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so like the Levitical tithe to kind of cover the priest's life, by the way too, you know why they, you know why they were given that tithe?
Caesar Kalinowski:Because when God divvied up all the land and crops and all that stuff amongst the 12 tribes, he said, the Levites, you get to serve me as priests.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's your inheritance.
Caesar Kalinowski:You don't get land.
Caesar Kalinowski:You don't, that means you don't grow your own cop crops.
Caesar Kalinowski:You'll trust me.
Caesar Kalinowski:And you'll show the people that they can trust me.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I'll, I'll have, I'll have them give you 10% of what they all get.
Caesar Kalinowski:So you'll have the exact same amount.
Caesar Kalinowski:Pretty cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay, that's really cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:So the feast tithe, like the Levitical tithe was also 10% of a person's yearly income.
Caesar Kalinowski:But instead of going sort of directly back to God, the feast tithe for all the different, there was seven major festivals and feasts.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:That Israel took place in, took part in.
Caesar Kalinowski:Every year it was used by the person who actually earned it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Now this is kind of new.
Caesar Kalinowski:I didn't always know this.
Caesar Kalinowski:I always thought that kind of handed it over and was stashed for the party.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, exactly.
Caesar Kalinowski:And I did a little more research for this episode, and according deuteronomy.
Caesar Kalinowski:um, another old testiment book there.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jewish people were required to go to Jerusalem, you know, for all these festivals and feast.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That feast tithe was a way for people to put money aside, so they couldn't say, well, I can't afford it.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they, so they could afford it, and then when they got there, they could enjoy all the festivities and have food and participate in everything.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it was so important that you made the party Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That you planned ahead and set aside a tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, I love that, man.
Caesar Kalinowski:You think about it in your own Missional, Community or small groups or at your church if everybody was setting aside 10%, just so when we party Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're gonna require you to We're covered.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's gonna be lush and it's awesome and you just can't say, well, I can't afford it, or I don't have a ride, or whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:No, it's all covered, you know?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I really like this idea of setting aside money in advance.
Caesar Kalinowski:So we can be sure to attend parties.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:The And all these parties and all these festivals and feasts.
Caesar Kalinowski:We'll have to do an episode on them sometime.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're all designed to remind people, the Israelites here, in this case of God's love and his faithfulness.
Caesar Kalinowski:And there's something so big and so cool about that.
Caesar Kalinowski:And God said, and I don't want you to miss the parties cuz you failed to like plan ahead.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I'll just mandate it in the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they gave the first tithe to cover the priests.
Caesar Kalinowski:Thanks for your work with all the sacrificial system, keeping the temple going and or tabernacle.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Early on.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, and then here's my party tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:All right.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so if you did the party tithe, it was like you were choosing in advance to prioritize community and staying close to God's heart for his people, for outsiders, and for yourself.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like I don't wanna miss these feasts and these parties in times of being together.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's so important.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm gonna prioritize community and partying and seeing how God interacts amongst us.
Caesar Kalinowski:How cool is that?
Caesar Kalinowski:Right?
Caesar Kalinowski:And then you had your poor people's tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:That was a third tithe also found in the book of Deuteronomy, but it's a little different than the first two because according to the Bible, the Hebrews, the Jewish people, they would set aside this additional 10% of their income, but they didn't do it every year.
Caesar Kalinowski:Instead that poor tithe was contributed to a community fund every three years and check this out, was to help homeless people.
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:travelers that were coming through your area and they're like, man, I'm freaking broke, or I don't where I'm gonna stay, or, I got a whole bunch of kids, or I had kids on the way and I need help and I can't.
Caesar Kalinowski:We got, don't worry.
Caesar Kalinowski:We've set aside money for that, also for orphans and widows, and it was also to make up any lack that the priesthood might have had.
Caesar Kalinowski:Wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:So like say the, say the other tithe was running out or whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:We also have this once every three year fund.
Caesar Kalinowski:Huh.
Caesar Kalinowski:So if you kind of break that up, they're kind of giving 23% in a third every year.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right now.
Caesar Kalinowski:On top of those sort of compulsory tithe cuz they were part of the law, so was expected.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:God commanded it.
Caesar Kalinowski:And you could see that was really for his glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:But our good.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, absolutely.
Caesar Kalinowski:Oh it's so, God, what does God need our money for?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's his money.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Why does he need our stuff?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's his stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:Plus he's saying, I'm gonna accept these offerings and place that you die in.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so someone's gotta do it, so let's just cover them so they can eat and pay for, you know, have kids and stuff too.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're gonna have a bunch of parties that are gonna be so phenomenal, they're gonna remind you my grace and goodness and generosity.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I want you to be able to afford that.
Caesar Kalinowski:So I'm just gonna say, put that aside, and then let's stash every three years.
Caesar Kalinowski:A little extra for people coming through.
Caesar Kalinowski:So they go, this is the most amazing group of people I've ever heard of.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, they're phenomenal, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's such a different, it's all the book by the way.
Caesar Kalinowski:Go read it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's all the Bible.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, um, now on top of those though, they, they, they also gave, um, regular, uh, free will offerings.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right in there.
Caesar Kalinowski:Words, what do you wanna just give above and beyond what's mandated?
Caesar Kalinowski:Because Cuz you love God.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And cuz you wanna be a generous person.
Caesar Kalinowski:And they expressed the Israelites gratefulness through voluntary giving and it kinda showed their devotion in their gratitude.
Caesar Kalinowski:In other words, they gave from their hearts.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right out of faith and love for God and others.
Caesar Kalinowski:They gave.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and I just re, I re you know, remind us if you see your stuff and money and your income.
Caesar Kalinowski:This earth in all possessions as yours.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Rather remembering God created it, including you, , all of it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Then your and your privilege to steward then, then your heart's in a weird and wrong place to begin with, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's out of faith and out of trust and gratefulness.
Caesar Kalinowski:That they gave these free will offerings on top of the other three tithes.
Heath Hollensbe:Which goes back to what you just said about Hebrew's teaching of Abel and his gift back
Caesar Kalinowski:in Genesis.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Why was his gift better?
Caesar Kalinowski:Cuz God liked lambs better than you like, you know, produce doesn't say that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cuz in faith, in trust, he brought what he thought was his best.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Might have not been the best , you know, it doesn't say.
Heath Hollensbe:What it sounds like you're saying though, is that the lifestyle and the function of God's people, and specifically Israel back then is extremely different from what we experienced today as Christians when we look at, uh, our new lighting system and in ear monitors and youth.
Heath Hollensbe:Yeah,
Caesar Kalinowski:yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:The youth wing and huge mission, which there again, if you're doing it, you know, good on you, you know, God's led you to do that, please do really, but, but does this
Heath Hollensbe:style of, um, tithing not really apply to us anymore when we're looking at this Old Testament and then the situation that
Caesar Kalinowski:we're currently in?
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, I think the heart behind it completely does.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:But the law part of it, no, it doesn't.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Let me, let me quickly run through, uh, uh, just some reasons why, and I, I'm, I, I don't have time to, we just don't have the time to go into all of it, but I'm just gonna be some reasons why Tithing's actually not required.
Caesar Kalinowski:Don't hear me wrong here.
Caesar Kalinowski:Not saying that it's not good to be generous and give, and if you wanna give Old Testament, give , give three tithe plus a goodwill.
Caesar Kalinowski:But here's why.
Caesar Kalinowski:You're not required to though, okay?
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:For one, believers in Christ are no longer under the mosaic.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like we're not under the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm?
Caesar Kalinowski:Like it's been fulfilled now in Christ.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So we're not under the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's fulfilled.
Caesar Kalinowski:In other words, he completed, he filled full the law, it's all been done.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's finished.
Caesar Kalinowski:He said that on the cross.
Caesar Kalinowski:Secondly, those examples of Abraham and Jacob.
Caesar Kalinowski:They're, they weren't normative patterns in scripture.
Caesar Kalinowski:They just, they said, this is what their heart was like.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just like, Cain and Abel said, well, there's the pattern.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was like, you know, there was an example of one good heart and one nasty heart.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And Kain proved it later.
Caesar Kalinowski:He killed his brother.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Third thing, uh, tithes were given to the Levites and priests, the people that ran the sacrificial system.
Caesar Kalinowski:We don't have Levites and priests in that way anymore in the new Covenant.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Because the final sacrifice was made at the cross in Christ.
Caesar Kalinowski:So we don't have that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Also the tithe was actually tied to the land Israel received under the old covenant and how God broke it all up.
Caesar Kalinowski:And Israel is supposed to celebrate a tithe, you know, every year.
Caesar Kalinowski:But then every thir, you know, three years that one to kind of help with the priesthood.
Caesar Kalinowski:And cuz they don't have their own land and then all the strangers and all, it's very, very different.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, So there's, there's a whole bunch, there's a whole bunch of different reasons why we're not required because we're not under the law basically.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:And there it is a different situation.
Caesar Kalinowski:Now we're in a different dispensation there, so, um, nowhere is tithing mentioned in that way.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:When commands to give generously or found in the New Testament, now we are commanded to be generous Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:As God is generous, but it's, there is no tithing mandate that I know of specifically in the New Testament.
Caesar Kalinowski:Now there's one passage that often gets distorted and we'll look at that in just a little bit.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Or it gets tweaked to say that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:So people, you know can look at it and maybe vote their con conscience . So, okay,
Heath Hollensbe:so let's jump in and see what Jesus did say about all of this.
Heath Hollensbe:And it comes to giving and
Caesar Kalinowski:gifts since that sort of stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Let me throw the, let me throw the umbrella statement over the whole thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jesus said, I didn't come to get rid of the law and the teachings of the prophet.
Caesar Kalinowski:I came to fulfill it or fill, fulfill it, meaning the purpose.
Caesar Kalinowski:That stands now let's live it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's that.
Caesar Kalinowski:So just that's it.
Caesar Kalinowski:So here's one Matthew six.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:First few verses.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.
Caesar Kalinowski:If you do, you'll have no reward from your father in heaven.
Caesar Kalinowski:. So when you give to the needy, don't announce it with trumpets.
Caesar Kalinowski:. That's crazy.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:I just dropped this homeless guy like a couple bucks.
Caesar Kalinowski:Why don't you pull a freaking trumpet outside?
Caesar Kalinowski:I travel with the trumpet like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jesus truly, I tell you, they've already received their reward in full.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:But when someone's needy, just let, don't you know, it's, I love this.
Caesar Kalinowski:Don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's so, it's so.
Caesar Kalinowski:Not a saying today, but back then it was like, you know, get, do it in secret and then your father who sees what you know you're doing, he'll reward you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:So the crazy thing about our acts of blessings, others and our generosity is I think what Jesus is getting at here.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:As much as he's saying be generous, he's saying, uh, it's easy for us to twist it in order to put our actions on display and try to rob God of his glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like it's his stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's kinda like when your kid, you know, You a birthday gift or Father's Day gift with your money.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And then he's all stoked about it, and you're like, I'm stoked that you wanted to Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:But remember it's my money.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know what I mean?
Caesar Kalinowski:. Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:In the industry I
Heath Hollensbe:came from, it's called copy right
Caesar Kalinowski:Infringement.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, you know, once we kind of make ourselves the object and focus of our generosity, then we've undermined the whole point of it is that God owns it all and he's a, he's a good God and he's a generous God and we forget that, right?
Heath Hollensbe:Yeah.
Heath Hollensbe:Matthew 23 also talks about this.
Heath Hollensbe:As well,
Caesar Kalinowski:right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Matthew 2323.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, what do you teachers of the, this is Jesus talking.
Caesar Kalinowski:What do you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you, hypocrites, you give a 10th of your spices, your mint, your di, you cumin.
Caesar Kalinowski:Apparently this is what they grew, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:They're crops, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Caesar Kalinowski:You should have practiced the latter.
Caesar Kalinowski:Without neglecting the former.
Caesar Kalinowski:So this is the one where many preachers and various theologians take this verse in the words that Jesus is proof that Jesus taught tithing because he's saying, wait a minute, you are bringing your tithe, and I'm calling it good.
Caesar Kalinowski:You should do that, but don't neglect the other.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's missing the point of what Jesus is really, really talking about.
Caesar Kalinowski:Go back, read all of Matthew 23.
Caesar Kalinowski:See where he is going, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Um, I don't think that that's, I don't think that's a verse about proving.
Caesar Kalinowski:That you should still tithe?
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Because I actually, as we're gonna talk about in a little while here, I think that our call now in Christ is way beyond that
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's way beyond that.
Caesar Kalinowski:So, um, . Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:So first off, I'd, I'd wanna say about this one verse is you should never try and build a doctrine or sort of new law for people, uh, outta one verse.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's just a bad use of the text.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just right matter.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, but I really don't think that's what's happening here.
Caesar Kalinowski:Uh, Jesus, I think, okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:I, in my humble opinion was IMHO um, I think what he's saying here is that it was good and to continue giving generously to the temple and the priesthood.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's because he's, you know, he was born under the law.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, but as he often does, he calls his disciples attention to the thing behind the thing, that higher calling, that the law was meant to tutor us in at a heart level.
Caesar Kalinowski:So he's saying, don't you know Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Keep doing that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Support those that bless you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:But don't neglect the more important matters of, and I And is this an accidental list, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Caesar Kalinowski:Remember we talked about doing justice?
Caesar Kalinowski:That's restoration.
Caesar Kalinowski:Having mercy for people Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That have screwed themselves over, but they, God wants to restore them.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and, and how do you do that By faith.
Caesar Kalinowski:that once again reminds us of Abel again in his gift Exactly.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jesus is connecting some pretty huge dots here, man.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:He really is.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's not necessarily a commentary on tithing.
Caesar Kalinowski:He's going Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Keep doing keep, be generous in all ways, but don't neglect justice restoration mercy and do it all by faith faithfulness.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's what's going on here.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's the higher call.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so what I wanna say is, I, I think Jesus is kind of saying it here, is let let the tithe be your tutor.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:In other words, like the law taught you, hey, it's good to take care of those that spiritually look out for you, the priesthood, right, Levites?
Caesar Kalinowski:Because God didn't give them a portion.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, it's really good to set aside money so you can come and be reminded through parties.
Caesar Kalinowski:That I'm your God and this is what I'm like and this is how you get to live.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's a really good thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:You don't have to get rid of that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like keep, keep letting the law tutor your heart in those ways.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Heath Hollensbe:Right.
Heath Hollensbe:But you're not saying Tutor isn't like the sacred Temple priest type the festival tithe and poor tithe.
Heath Hollensbe:I'm saying
Caesar Kalinowski:let that idea of that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Be your tutor.
Caesar Kalinowski:In other words, let it show you the right heart that Jesus is teaching here.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:These ideas of justice in mercy and faithfulness is way deeper.
Caesar Kalinowski:And it's what the law was meaning to teach us both about God.
Caesar Kalinowski:God's a God of justice in mercy and he and he is faithful.
Caesar Kalinowski:And guess what?
Caesar Kalinowski:We get to be as people that are just and do restoration, and we do it out of a heart of mercy and out of faith that God is working all things together.
Caesar Kalinowski:are good in his glory for those who love him.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's like, yeah, that is what's going on here.
Caesar Kalinowski:And the reason Jesus talked about money a lot, not tithing specific, but money a whole lot is because he knows that our hearts get wrapped around it so much.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Where your treasure is.
Caesar Kalinowski:So will your heart be Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Isn't it crazy?
Caesar Kalinowski:It's not like what you love, then you'll treasure.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's like no.
Caesar Kalinowski:Where you, what you treasure is where your heart will be.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:So if you like just freaking love money, you're gonna think about it all the time.
Caesar Kalinowski:And then you're gonna try to figure out ways to get outta tithing.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's not, it's you just said yourself.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's not, we're not under the law anymore.
Caesar Kalinowski:No, you're right.
Caesar Kalinowski:We're way beyond that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's so far past that cuz it's finished , we get to ba basically, you know, if only it were that easy that we could still do, you know, temple priests tithes a festival tithe then a poor tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:If only it was really that simple.
Caesar Kalinowski:But that's a do to be thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:See, or at least that's what it got made into.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah,
Heath Hollensbe:and that's what I was thinking.
Heath Hollensbe:Uh, When we look at this, it's really easy to fall into a law based way of thinking here, right?
Heath Hollensbe:Especially for those of us who are raised in the church . Fill a guilt laid on 'em by church leadership to give the 10% to keep the doors open.
Heath Hollensbe:It seems like generosity should be the heart behind everything, but I've heard many people say that, you know, God blesses them when they start giving and things along those lines.
Heath Hollensbe:To me that seems like we're playing a little bit of do to be with God.
Heath Hollensbe:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:It can be.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's how the whole law can be.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, and that's, that was Jesus teaching so often about the law and the way the Pharisees live.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, wait, hey, when the Pharisees teach you the law, he says, Do what they tell you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:But don't follow their example.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cause they don't actually live out what they preach and teach.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know?
Caesar Kalinowski:And, and so I think yeah, that's, that's the case.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, we can very easily, because our little do to be hearts, we want earn God's approval.
Caesar Kalinowski:We want to earn our standing with God with you.
Caesar Kalinowski:I want, I wanna look good to you.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, I can't just drop in a full tithe into a basket that goes by anywhere.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's why I have to write a check.
Caesar Kalinowski:But I'll do it real slowly.
Caesar Kalinowski:Maybe you'll see it.
Caesar Kalinowski:I should've folded that or I'll just mail it, you know, whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Crazy, but, but that, yeah, that kind of completely.
Caesar Kalinowski:Says that, well, you do.
Caesar Kalinowski:You wanna live under the law still?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, is is that what you want?
Caesar Kalinowski:No, of course not.
Caesar Kalinowski:Cuz cuz if we still live under the old covenant, then we don't believe there's a new covenant, meaning it is finished that Jesus has done it all.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And to to, like I said, like I said a minute ago, like if we wanna say well let the tithe be our tutor, if only it were that easy.
Caesar Kalinowski:Because see, Jesus didn't come and say, Hey, watch this because I'm God and man.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm God's old son.
Caesar Kalinowski:I never miss a tithe.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, I gave all three of those babies.
Caesar Kalinowski:I totally never miss it.
Caesar Kalinowski:He actually came and he laid his life down for his disciples, and I'm not talking about only his death.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm talking about he laid his life down, his preferences, what he did, how he spent his time, what he, what he gave his life to.
Caesar Kalinowski:He laid it down.
Caesar Kalinowski:He didn't say, you know what?
Caesar Kalinowski:I could probably be a better fisherman.
Caesar Kalinowski:I could really build a heck of a nest egg for, you know, sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:He laid it down for disciples, for the world, for all.
Caesar Kalinowski:Go read in John 10.
Caesar Kalinowski:John three, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And prior to his death, he said, love each other in the same way that I've loved you.
Caesar Kalinowski:He goes on, he goes, there's no greater love than to lay one's life down for our friends.
Caesar Kalinowski:Now, that's a confusing verse.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:If you think like, well, am I supposed to die for my friends?
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, if we all died for our friends, no one will be alive.
Caesar Kalinowski:So that's not what he means.
Caesar Kalinowski:Clearly, , laying your life down is saying, my preferences will come after yours and after God's right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's what that's about.
Caesar Kalinowski:My life will be oriented around you being blessed and seeing God's glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:What he's really, really like, and.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jesus routinely laid down his life by humbly, compassionately serving the disciples and others and everyone he came into contact with.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Look at Philippines two, and.
Caesar Kalinowski:Empowered by God working within us.
Caesar Kalinowski:We are now called like Jesus to lay down our lives for others.
Caesar Kalinowski:That doesn't mean lay in front of a train or whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:And this includes sacrificially giving of ourselves, our time, our possessions, our talents, our plans for the future, all out of love for God and for others.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's what Jesus did.
Caesar Kalinowski:And he said, in the same way, I've loved, you should love too.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's how you wanna love each other.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so when you start thinking about, well, what are we supposed to do in a New Testament?
Caesar Kalinowski:That those three tithes, they wouldn't even come close to laying your life down.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And remember, the Jews started from a position of it's all Gods he owns.
Caesar Kalinowski:it all.
Caesar Kalinowski:it's not how much I'm gonna give back to God.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's how much do I need to keep for myself that has nothing to do with him.
Caesar Kalinowski:And that would, that wouldn't even be on their minds.
Caesar Kalinowski:It certainly wouldn't have been on Jesus.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, you know, let's work something out so you can feel okay about mostly keeping everything I give you.
Caesar Kalinowski:For yourself, for your pleasure, for your plans, for your purposes, for, you know, yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:And then, and you, and you don't even have to use the other 10% to help and bless people.
Caesar Kalinowski:We'll just give it to somebody else and that'll take it off your mind and heart and your responsibilities covered.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, exactly.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, you know, like to an organization.
Caesar Kalinowski:No way.
Caesar Kalinowski:Ever, never ever.
Caesar Kalinowski:Please go back and read through the gospels.
Caesar Kalinowski:Jesus talks about money and giving in generosity and lay your life down.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's never that.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, it's, uh, it's way beyond a tithe for, for those who are trying to squirm out from underneath it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:So when it come, when it comes to money, well then you don't have to give any, no, you would look for every possible way to let put God's money to work.
Caesar Kalinowski:For others, for his glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's what it would be.
Caesar Kalinowski:So lemme ask you one
Heath Hollensbe:question that we do get from a lot of listeners when we ask them what, what, what we can talk about, uh, and there's this frustration for those who have their foot in one community.
Heath Hollensbe:Maybe they're in their neighborhood, they're Missional minded, they want to give their lives to their community, but they're also part of an institution that requires money to survive.
Heath Hollensbe:And aren't these listeners often aren't sure where to put their money?
Heath Hollensbe:Like should it be in their neighborhoods and, and Yeah.
Heath Hollensbe:Or should it be to this institution?
Caesar Kalinowski:What would you say to them?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Well it's, it's really, that's a killer question, bro, because like it comes up so often you wouldn't believe it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, especially in the early days of like, when we start talking about living this way and living our mission and being, you know, family on Missional, Missional, Community, so many leaders in church, you know, in churches would.
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, you've convinced me it's biblical.
Caesar Kalinowski:I can't get around that.
Caesar Kalinowski:But like, I, I, you know, I kind of whisper and look around like, but I just gotta ask you, when do you collect the tithe?
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, as if that's really the giant goal of Sunday . Give the money so we can do it again next week.
Caesar Kalinowski:And it'd be like, whoa.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, like, how do you get that right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Mm-hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, I wanna, I wanna say this, that if you're a part of a community, a church community, and they're looking out for you spiritually, and they're covering you, and they're, you're getting taught and blessed and you know, and you know that they're giving, they're laying their lives down.
Caesar Kalinowski:They could be in business, they could have other types of, they're laying their life down in preferences to serve you in your family, then I think just outta love and compulsion you then yeah, you should be giving like how much that's between you and God.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's, that's a heart issue there again, let the tithe be your.
Caesar Kalinowski:I don't, I don't think if someone is really, like, seriously being a spiritual parent in your life or parents in your life and, and you're learning how to make disciples and you're, you know, in all of life and you're blessed and the gospel's being washed over you and they're just there and they're a part of your life and all that.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Why would, that's your family.
Caesar Kalinowski:You, of course would wanna take care of your family, so, yeah, exactly.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, don't ask, how much am I supposed to give?
Caesar Kalinowski:How, how much can I give?
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, and do I feel it?
Caesar Kalinowski:Is it, does it actually, am I giving so, Of me cuz I feel it, it costs, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, so do that.
Caesar Kalinowski:If, if that's what's going on now, uh, we've been a part of communities where people gave, but we didn't use that money say for, um, uh, like, uh, What do they call it?
Caesar Kalinowski:Benevolent funds, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it, it did kind of cover the needs, uh, of the leadership and the pastors and servants that were blessing others, but then all in community, all this sort of quote unquote benevolent stuff would happen.
Caesar Kalinowski:Meaning as you see need meet it, and if you can't meet it, then ask a brother, sister in community, Hey, could you help me?
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm going to you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Heath's running low this week.
Caesar Kalinowski:We were just talking about it.
Caesar Kalinowski:He's like, I got two bucks to get to Friday, so I'll make sure how you didn't get to work.
Caesar Kalinowski:So like, let's, I got 20.
Caesar Kalinowski:You got 20.
Caesar Kalinowski:Let's put some gas in his tank.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Oh, it's bigger than that.
Caesar Kalinowski:I can't, it's like it's, uh, an $800 electric bill that needs to get paid for so-and-so in the neighborhood.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, let's ask the whole Missional, Community.
Caesar Kalinowski:Let's ask you, let's go wider.
Caesar Kalinowski:We can cover it together.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:And we had times, we had to bring it from the Missional Community.
Caesar Kalinowski:That was, it was even too big of needs.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like seriously, like many, many thousands at times bring it to the whole community, the whole church.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:We never once, were not able to meet a need this way outta generosity.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's amazing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Never once.
Caesar Kalinowski:Never once.
Caesar Kalinowski:It didn't have to be set aside in a bank account under the church's name.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just the church people, the leaving, the church were being cared for and every time needs came up, they were met through people in community on mission, acting like a family treating each other like family, treating everyone else like family.
Caesar Kalinowski:I think that's what Jesus is getting now.
Caesar Kalinowski:He says like, as I love.
Caesar Kalinowski:Love others.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Look how he lived with people.
Caesar Kalinowski:He lived with 'em and treated 'em all like family.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:And he laid his life down for them.
Caesar Kalinowski:So if, if you're feeling like, uh, no, if you're not part of a community, I'm not saying that like, oh, you know what, like I was taught to tithe and so, you know, we're not part of a church right now.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm just gonna mail one into some church.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Why just mail it to the lifestyle.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's goofy.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's just do to be Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Mail it to us.
Caesar Kalinowski:We'll put it to good work.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'm serious.
Caesar Kalinowski:I can't give you any kind of tax thing, but no one got a tax break in scripture ever for that kind of stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, seriously, that don't, don't fall into this like, I have to.
Caesar Kalinowski:Please God.
Caesar Kalinowski:I just, if you hear nothing else today, God's not looking for your money.
Caesar Kalinowski:First off, it's all.
Caesar Kalinowski:He gave it to you.
Caesar Kalinowski:He's not surprised.
Caesar Kalinowski:. Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's there in your bank.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, bank now or whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so please don't think that like, well, I'm gonna please him if I give him some of his stuff back.
Caesar Kalinowski:He's already pleased.
Caesar Kalinowski:He's already pleased.
Caesar Kalinowski:He loves you in Christ.
Caesar Kalinowski:He sees you completely redeemed, restored your beautiful daughter, your.
Caesar Kalinowski:You're his beautiful son.
Caesar Kalinowski:He loves you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:You give, you give to him and to others.
Caesar Kalinowski:You actually don't give to God.
Caesar Kalinowski:You give to his work to glorify him.
Caesar Kalinowski:You give to others needs so they see like God's generous.
Caesar Kalinowski:You think about this, just stop for a minute.
Caesar Kalinowski:How does God distribute his blessings and his resources in the world?
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:Through humans.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Through people.
Caesar Kalinowski:Every time.
Caesar Kalinowski:It doesn't just show up in a pile.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like seriously miraculously, a pile of money was outside the door.
Caesar Kalinowski:I mean, and I have a camera.
Caesar Kalinowski:No one walked it up.
Caesar Kalinowski:I watched the whole thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:It wasn't there not happening at, you know, at at 9 0 2 and 12 seconds and 9 0 2 and 13 seconds.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was there.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just materialized.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's not how God works in the world, not that I've seen.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:Someone's gonna write in say, no, it happened to me once.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay, awesome.
Caesar Kalinowski:, let me see that video.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, it is, God blesses and shows the world his glory and his generosity through us.
Caesar Kalinowski:And so we get to give and live generously, man.
Caesar Kalinowski:And I just, I love this idea setting aside in advance so we can Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:, you know, I love that I'm not caught off ground by your need.
Caesar Kalinowski:I've already stashed some.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, that's so cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:God knew.
Caesar Kalinowski:And there it is.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's ready.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know, I.
Caesar Kalinowski:Well, thanks.
Heath Hollensbe:I feel like you answered a lot of great questions, some things that our listeners have written in about, and it was cool to hear this fresh take on something that, again, most of us who've been raising the church have been taught wrong on this for quite a long time,
Caesar Kalinowski:and so to reframe it, it's just kind of icky or avoided.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:This way makes it news.
Caesar Kalinowski:We don't avoid it.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's kinda icky and weird and probably not even biblical.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah,
Heath Hollensbe:dude.
Heath Hollensbe:Let's get to the big three.
Heath Hollensbe:Okay.
Heath Hollensbe:And the big three.
Heath Hollensbe:Uh, if you're new to listening, this is the three takeaways that just tangible.
Heath Hollensbe:We want you to walk away with
Caesar Kalinowski:if nothing else.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Don't miss these.
Caesar Kalinowski:And you can get this as a printable pdf.
Caesar Kalinowski:If you want these, I've pre-written them down for you, you can get this as a printable PDF by going to everyday Disciple dot com slash big three bi g.
Caesar Kalinowski:What would you say the big three are for us this week?
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:And as we usually do the, the, the big three kind of follow head, heart, hands, something.
Caesar Kalinowski:We want you to know something, we want you to believe in your heart.
Caesar Kalinowski:And then like, how do I get started?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, what do you get to do?
Caesar Kalinowski:So first thing I'd say is believe this.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, know this.
Caesar Kalinowski:God created everything out of love and he graciously allows us to use, enjoy and steward it, all of it for his glory, not our own.
Caesar Kalinowski:Say that second part again.
Caesar Kalinowski:All of.
Caesar Kalinowski:For his glory and not ours.
Caesar Kalinowski:Ours, yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay.
Caesar Kalinowski:You're not stewarding your stuff or tithing on your resources.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's all God's stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like know that, just settle that like flip that switch Second.
Caesar Kalinowski:And this is sort of the heart level thing.
Caesar Kalinowski:Christians can choose to live generously or not.
Caesar Kalinowski:And God's love for us shown amazingly improving at the cross.
Caesar Kalinowski:It never changes and.
Caesar Kalinowski:We are loved regardless.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay?
Caesar Kalinowski:Let God's abundance of love in your life.
Caesar Kalinowski:Move your heart to generosity.
Caesar Kalinowski:Ask the Spirit to show you each day who can you be a blessing to with your words, your resources, acts of service, your time.
Caesar Kalinowski:Okay?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Follow the spirit.
Caesar Kalinowski:And the third thing, sort of the hands part of this head, heart, hands is uh, if you're regularly part of a church congregation that serve, Meets the needs of you and your family.
Caesar Kalinowski:Support that work, please.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:And those who serve you.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:Those, that's your, those are your brothers and sisters.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like be good brothers and sisters back like you get to Yep.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, if you're not currently an active part of a congregation, look for ways to intentionally meet the needs of those who serve your life spiritually and physically.
Caesar Kalinowski:Like, cuz maybe there's other people like your Missional Community leader or whatever.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:We've had people in community, not cuz they had to or needed to, they said, Hey, uh, we just got a new car.
Caesar Kalinowski:We were gonna sell this one looks like you guys could use a car.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah, we could.
Caesar Kalinowski:Great.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's yours.
Caesar Kalinowski:You know what I mean?
Caesar Kalinowski:Wow.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's, that's how it works in a family, right?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, and, um, if you're part of a community on mission together, you're part of a Missional Community, um, together discuss how you could better steward.
Caesar Kalinowski:all that God has given you collectively for his glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:Hmm.
Caesar Kalinowski:I think I've told the story before, uh, it was in one of Jeff Vanderstelt Missional communities.
Caesar Kalinowski:They decided to list everything that they all owned, completely possessed, either in like stuff or in talent or gift or whatever, education.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And they got those giant post eNotes and you know, like a small ones, but the giant ones, like for conferences.
Caesar Kalinowski:Sure.
Caesar Kalinowski:And they just went around the whole house.
Caesar Kalinowski:It was like full of all the stuff.
Caesar Kalinowski:And he said, now what do we get to do with all this?
Caesar Kalinowski:It was brilliant.
Caesar Kalinowski:Right.
Caesar Kalinowski:That's cool.
Caesar Kalinowski:So it's a cool exercise as a community go, like, how could we better steward everything?
Caesar Kalinowski:Hey, um, do we all need to have the same tools and lawnmower and the, could we share?
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:And then give, go.
Caesar Kalinowski:Yeah.
Caesar Kalinowski:Um, there are so many needs and opportunities to lay down your life and your preferences for others to God's glory.
Caesar Kalinowski:So like, seek those out.
Caesar Kalinowski:Thanks.
Caesar Kalinowski:Before I forget, I wanna invite you to get the everyday Disciple workshop.
Caesar Kalinowski:You can get immediate access to that right now.
Caesar Kalinowski:We've trained thousands of people in this powerful framework during our four day challenges, and now you can get it, and you can have lifetime access to it.
Caesar Kalinowski:Just go to everyday Disciple dot com.
Caesar Kalinowski:Slash workshop to get this simple and reproducible discipleship framework.
Caesar Kalinowski:You're gonna love it.
Caesar Kalinowski:It's everyday Disciple dot com slash workshop.
Caesar Kalinowski:Alright, well I gotta get going.
Caesar Kalinowski:I hope you'll join us again next week cuz we're gonna keep diving into discipleship, a mission.
Caesar Kalinowski:And gospel fluency, and hopefully helping make this all a whole lot easier for you in your everyday life.
Caesar Kalinowski:I'll talk to you soon.
Heath Hollensbe:Thanks for joining us today.
Heath Hollensbe:For more information on this show and to get loads of free discipleship resources, visit everyday Disciple dot com and remember, you really can live with the spiritual freedom and relational peace that Jesus promised every day.
Heath Hollensbe:Is Tithing Actually Biblical?