Rev Bill

I have posted today’s sermon on my sermon blog. It’s based on Malachi 3:8-12 — and entitled “Are You Robbing God?”

Here’s a portion of it:

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, tells about a conversation he had with a new Christian, a business guy whom he’d helped lead to Christ some months prior to this conversation. It seemed that one day this new Christian opened his Bible to the Book of Malachi and read chapter 3. Well, he got so upset about this he called Bill and said:

“What’s the deal with this tithing thing?”

Before Bill could answer, the man started asking more questions:

“Is this for everybody?”

“Is this on the gross or the net?”

“Is this retroactive? Because if it is, we could be talking serious money.”

Money had been about the most important thing in this man’s life. His life was centered around it. His sense of power was attached to it. Control of his children was involved with it, which was not a good thing. It had always been his security. The tithing principle was upsetting to him because it was messing with what had been the true treasure of his life.

So Hybels said:

“I’m glad you ran across the tithing passage, because it is going to force you to do a heart check, a gut check, and a faith check. I know you well enough to know the grip money has had on you. We’re going to see what you’re made of now. We’re going to see what your faith is really all about. But put the tithing principle aside for a moment. Tell me again how you met Christ.:”

The man replied:

“You know how it happened. We had lunch together, and over the lunch table you drew a picture on a paper napkin, showing the difference between trying to earn your way to heaven and receiving grace through what Jesus did on the cross. You described the difference between the performance plan and the grace plan. You described the difference between doing things to earn God’s grace and mercy and depending on what Christ has already done for me on the cross. I remember after that lunch I put that napkin on my desk at work, and your words and diagram worked me over all afternoon, and I left work early. I went home, fell on my knees, and asked what Jesus Christ had done for me on the cross to be applied to the sins of my life. I discovered amazing grace that day.”

Hybels responded: “I remember that day, too, because you called me that night and told me you understood why people call grace amazing. I’ll never forget that night.”

The man assured Hybels that he would never forget it, either.

Hybels continued: “When someone lays down his life for you, when he wipes the slate clean of all your sins, when he invites you into his family, when he secures your eternity, and promises to bless your life between here and there, when he gives you his everything, and then asks you to honor and show gratitude through some practical behaviors and commitments, don’t you think your heartfelt, immediate response ought to be, ‘Yes, Lord! Whatever you want. Just say the word!?’ Tithing isn’t fundamentally about money. It’s about the condition of your heart before God.”

Hybels says he let those words hang out there on the phone line. This was serious business. This was heart stuff. Then he heard the words on the other end of the line:

“I’m so terribly sorry.”

Hybels knew the man was talking more to God than to him.

“I needed this heart check. I’m going to make it right from this day forward.”

And – Hybels says – he did.

You can read the rest of the sermon here.

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