A picture is worth a thousand words.On January 8th, Perry Noble of NewSpring Church gave yet another tithing sermon to tell people they need to start 2012 off on the right foot by committing to give 10% of their money to his church so they will enable God to pour out financial blessings this year.
After teaching them about how the "storehouse" in Malachi 3:10 really is today's church, and when God says "food in my house" he really means "cash money given to the church", Perry gave them an illustration of his tithing doctrine using Skittles.
There was some truth mixed in with his parable. Perry taught them that the OT tithe is "10%" (which is false, it is 23 1/3%), but he was right that 10% is equal to 1/10, and that 10% of $1000 is $100. Perry forgot to teach them that 10% is also equal to 0.1 in decimal form, or that to convert from percent to decimal you move the decimal two places and drop the "%" sign. But at least a partial math lesson involving percentages was taught.
Just as illustrations and parables and analogies are helpful to people seeing and understanding truth, perhaps people seeing silly and illogical illustrations like this might wake them up that they are being bamboozled. OK, maybe not. Ed Young used Kit Kat bars last year in his tithing illustration. Mac Brunson used an illustration back in 2010 using 10 church members on stage holding dollar bills to teach them what 10% was, and to visually show that "little one little tenth" that God requires.
In the parable of the "Greedy Christian and His Disappearing Skittles", Perry shows how the key to getting God to give you overflowing Skittles (money) is to be sure and give the first 10% of your Skittles (money) to your nearest 501c(3) church.
As you watch the parable, remember: "skittles" = "cash money".
Enjoy.
In my life I have seen many people faithfully tithe, and even according to the OT 23 1/3%, and not once have I witnessed one become so financially blessed that they don't know what to do with the money.
ReplyDeleteThe reason is- because it is NOT TRUE! Those who are "rich" and tithe and say how much God has blessed them were rich before they tithed and a 10% is just a drop from their big bucket of skittles.
Once again, Malachi 3 is not talking about the tither, but about the priests (church pastors) who do not use the whole tithe that they were given for God's work! It's talking to those in charge of the tithe, NOT the tithe giver. And how do you know that these pastors are using the whole tithe when they won't release financial statements!
Nothing about today's tithe is analogous to the OT tithe.
ReplyDeleteOT Tithe:
Always food - never money
Given to priests who weren't allowed to own anything
Given to the poor
Used for mandatory religious feasts
23% not 10%
First fruits were literal fruits
Food was placed in a literal storehouse
It was a tax used to run a Theocracy
If you don't tithe then you will never know if its true or not.
ReplyDeleteIf you do, I imagine you have discovered that God has blessed you beyond measure and met your every need.
At least that what He promises to do in His word.
I must be a bad pastor. Every time we get to a verse or passage that might lead to a sermon on giving I say, "It is your responsibility to make sure this church can continue its ministry--and you are doing a great job!"
ReplyDeleteApparently I'm denying everyone extra blessing...dang it!
"I must be a bad pastor. Every time we get to a verse or passage that might lead to a sermon on giving I say, "It is your responsibility to make sure this church can continue its ministry--and you are doing a great job!"
ReplyDeleteApparently I'm denying everyone extra blessing...dang it!'
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Loved this post - my kind of Pastor & one I would abundantly support - it is our responsibility to take care of our churches & support the pastors but when the top dogs (ie, FBCJ) make 6 figure's off our monies, no way!
"If you don't tithe then you will never know if its true or not."
ReplyDeleteI tithed (before I found out that it is an OT custom) and 10% was less than 1/2 what the Israelites paid and that Grace giving is what is taught in the NT. And I remained poor.
Since I started the practice of grace giving, my blessings have increased enormously.
And that's why we don't go by experience to discover truth but by God's word - which teaches grace giving.
"If you do, I imagine you have discovered that God has blessed you beyond measure and met your every need."
ReplyDeleteNope. So, either God is wrong or you are.
"At least that what He promises to do in His word."
ReplyDeleteNot if you interpret scripture in context.
What does the poker chips and deck of cards have to do with tithing?
ReplyDeleteWhat a waste of Skittles! The Skittle demonstration of tithing was very childish. I guess the colors entertained the crowd.
Skittles. Men being carried around in leather chairs and told they r kings. Goodness what next.
ReplyDeleteGreat comment made today on a very old WD post:
ReplyDelete"All he called you was a sociopath?
I wonder what Christ will call you on judgment day for stoning His Bride, the Church. You won't be able to sue him."
Just love these loving Christians.
"All he called you was a sociopath?"
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has the nerve (especially a preacher & judge) to say any member of my family is a "sociopath & a coward" in a public newspaper I would not be a watchdog, but a "Pitbull"!
It really amazes me that anyone would sit through this, let alone applaud, let alone come back, let alone give money to pay for the show...err, I mean, church.
ReplyDeletethis guy is without question one of the world's biggest something-holes.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just teach the truth? Why use skittles and not the word of God instead? How does one go about to "REDEEM" ones "skittles" if they desired? Wow, this teaching is in line with the "kingship" farce at New Birth you posted WD.
ReplyDeleteA simple read of the Bible in Leviticus alone refutes this as error! Grace & Peace - Elder GAB
Leviticus 27:30-34 (ESV)
30 "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD.31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the LORD.33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed."34 These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.
Well, he did get one thing right. In the OT, the tithe was always paid in food.
ReplyDeleteThis is the same philosophy that the current administration uses to buy votes.
ReplyDeleteThe person who is receiving the money is not the greedy person. The greedy person is the one who isn't giving enough to that person (who often spends it foolishly).
I am a member at NewSpring Church. It greatly saddens me to see how many people are divisive within the Church of God. I can tell from many of the comments most of you did not watch the rest of the message. Of course the Bible was taught, this was just a helpful analogy. And nowhere in the message did Perry claim God gives money to those who give money. It's the prosperity gospel and it is false.
ReplyDeleteThe truth of scripture is that God blesses those who are generous and tithe 10% Anyone who does not want to tithe is not doing so because they are generous. Not giving 10% to the church can be chalked up to nothing more than greed in my own heart. Perhaps you can give in a different way (this is not sarcastic, I just know the only reason I wouldn't give is greed, perhaps the same is not true for you). God blesses those who give. This could come in many different forms, but he does bless the generous.
NewSpring Church and Perry Noble do not teach money for money or the prosperity gospel and it is unbelievably disheartening to see how quickly the Church will condemn those on the same side in the same war. It's no wonder that people don't believe in the cause of Christ when Christians don't even believe in each other.