Proper Attitudes

 Genesis 4:3-6 – “…Cain brought an offering to the Lord…Abel…also brought of the firstlings of his flock….And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard….”  Vs. 7 – “…if you do well…”

 “’Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’” He gave him a tenth of all.”

 Genesis 28:20-22 – “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me…this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.’”

 Exodus 35:4-5 – “…This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze….”

 ‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.

 Luke 21: And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

 Luke 19:8 -- Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”

 Acts 4: Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

 Acts 11: And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

 …no church shared with me…but you alone;…not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account…I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent….”

 God owns everything anyway.  Psalm 24:1 – heaven and earth belong to Him.  Haggai 2:8 – all gold and silver is His.

 Ezekiel 18:4 – “Behold, all souls are Mine….”  Acts 20:28 – “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, the shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

 1 Peter 4:10 – “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  1 Cor. 9:17 – For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.  James 4:1-4 – What is the source of quarrels…You ask and do not receive because you ask with the wrong motives

 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – Now concerning the collection for the saints…on the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come….

 2 Corinthians 8:12 – For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, no according to what he does not have.

 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.  Abounding

 So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.