What You Sow God Will Grow | Kingdom Principles of Tithes & Offerings — Part 1 | Pastor Jesse Diaz

The kingdom principle of tithes and offerings starts with this word: what is sown, God will grow. The tithe is not treated like a church trick, a money grab, or some leftover law nobody needs anymore. The tithe shows up before the law, when Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods recovered after victory, and that gift comes from gratitude, worship, and remembrance that God is the one who gave the victory.

The tithe belongs to the Lord before anybody ever decides what to do with it. Leviticus calls the tenth holy, set apart, consecrated, not something to digest, negotiate, or touch when bills, emergencies, or pressure start talking loud. The tenth is not giving God something extra. The tenth is returning what already belongs to Him, and that keeps money in its right place so greed and stinginess do not get the heart.

The purpose of the tithe is tied to God’s house and God’s work. Numbers shows the Levites supported by the tithes because they were set apart for service in the tabernacle, and that same pattern becomes a type and shadow of gospel ministry today. The tithe supplies the house, supports those called to labor in the Word, and keeps the gospel moving forward. The tithe is holy when it comes in, so those who receive it must handle it before God with fear and responsibility.

The place of the tithe matters too. Deuteronomy points God’s people to the designated place of worship, the storehouse where God has set His name and where His people are fed. Offerings and special seed are not the same as the tithe. The tithe is the benchmark of obedience, and the offering flows from the heart after the tithe has been honored.

Jesus affirms tithing while rebuking hypocrisy. Matthew 23 does not cancel the tithe, it corrects the heart that gives carefully while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. Paul also carries the principle forward when he says those who preach the good news should be supported by those who benefit from it. Malachi brings the whole matter back to trust: bring all the tithes into the storehouse, test the Lord in this, and watch Him open the windows of heaven.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The tithe remembers the victory Abram’s tenth came after God defeated his enemies, so the tithe became a confession that the victory did not come from human strength. The tithe trains the heart to look at what is in the hand and remember where it came from. Gratitude becomes concrete when worship touches what was recovered, earned, or received. [07:14]
• 2. Holy things cannot be leftovers Leviticus calls the tenth holy, which means it is set apart before spending, calculating, or bargaining begins. The tithe loses its proper place when God receives what remains after every other demand has spoken first. First fruits protect the heart from making money the master while still calling God Lord. [16:15]
• 3. God’s house has real needs Numbers ties the tithe to the service of the tabernacle, not to vague religious sentiment. The work of God has spiritual power, but it also has practical needs, and God ordained support for those set apart to serve. Giving becomes participation in the gospel, not just payment toward a bill. [30:13]
• 4. The storehouse is not random Deuteronomy places the tithe in the designated place where God’s people worship and receive spiritual food. The tithe is not scattered wherever emotion, convenience, or a visiting voice feels exciting in the moment. The storehouse principle gives giving an ordered home, not just a generous impulse. [34:17]
• 5. Jesus corrects the heart, not tithing Matthew 23 shows Jesus saying tithing should be done, while hypocrisy must not hide behind it. The tithe cannot replace mercy, justice, faith, or real fruit before God. Right giving and right living belong together because God receives the heart along with the gift. [40:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:40] - Understanding Tithes And Offerings
• [05:43] - Tithing Before The Law
• [11:17] - The Tithe Belongs To The Lord
• [14:06] - Holy Means Set Apart
• [20:08] - God Does Not Receive Leftovers
• [24:09] - The Purpose Of The Tithe
• [33:03] - Bringing Tithes To The Storehouse
• [35:52] - Tithes, Offerings, And Order
• [39:48] - Jesus Affirms The Tithe
• [42:50] - Paul And Gospel Support
• [47:18] - Malachi’s Invitation To Trust
• [53:12] - What God’s People Have Seen Through Scripture

Bible Reading

Genesis 14:18-20
“And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.’ Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.” [05:43]

Leviticus 27:30
“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy.” [11:38]

Numbers 18:21
“As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.” [30:13]

Deuteronomy 12:11
“you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored.” [33:32]

Matthew 23:23
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” [39:48]

1 Corinthians 9:13-14
“Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.” [42:50]

Malachi 3:10
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” [49:33]

Observation questions

1. In Genesis 14, what happened right before Abram gave a tenth, and what does the passage say God had done for him? [07:14]
2. In Leviticus 27:30, what two things are said about the tenth, and how do those words shape the way it is supposed to be handled? [16:15]
3. In Deuteronomy 12:11, what different kinds of giving are named, and what does that show about the difference between tithes and offerings? [35:52]
4. In Matthew 23:23, what were the Pharisees doing carefully, and what more important things were they neglecting? [40:32]

Interpretation questions

1. Abram gave a tenth after victory was given by God. How does that help explain the tithe as worship and remembrance instead of payment or pressure? [07:14]
2. If the tenth belongs to the Lord and is called holy, what does that suggest about the habit of giving God whatever is left over after every other expense has been handled? [20:08]
3. Numbers 18 and 1 Corinthians 9 both connect giving to the support of those set apart for God’s work. How should that shape the way believers think about giving to the house of God? [33:03]
4. Jesus says, “You should tithe, yes,” but also warns against neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. What does that reveal about the kind of heart God wants in a giving person? [40:32]

Application questions

1. When money comes into your hands, what usually speaks first: gratitude, pressure, fear, bills, or trust? What would it look like to remember the victory and honor God first in that moment? [08:43]
2. The tenth is holy and not meant to be touched. Where are you most tempted to treat what belongs to God like it is available for emergencies, delays, or “just this once” situations? [16:50]
3. God does not receive leftovers. In a practical way, does your current pattern of giving feel more like firstfruits or leftovers? What honestly reveals that? [20:26]
4. The storehouse is the place where God’s people worship and are spiritually fed. Have you settled in your heart where your storehouse is, or has your giving been scattered by impulse, convenience, or emotion? [34:41]
5. Tithing cannot replace justice, mercy, faith, or real obedience. Is there any area where it is easier to give money than to let God deal with your character, relationships, or habits? [41:00]
6. Supporting gospel ministry is part of participating in the work of the kingdom. How might your attitude change if you saw giving not as paying a bill, but as helping keep the gospel moving forward? [45:23]
7. Malachi brings giving back to trust. If trust is the real issue, what would testing God in this area look like for you in a concrete and honest way over the next few weeks? [51:11]