Condition of Blessing
To receive a large-scale blessing from God, we must pay our dues unto the Lord our God and to His cause by giving our tithes.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the importance of fulfilling our obligations to God, particularly through tithing, as a condition for receiving His blessings. He points out that many Christians experience lack because they fail to support God's work, leading to spiritual poverty in both individuals and churches. Spurgeon urges believers to reflect on their giving and to recognize that generous support of God's ministries can lead to abundant blessings. He challenges the congregation to consider their contributions and to trust in God's promise to open the windows of heaven in response to faithful giving.
Text
Bring ye all of the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)
Many read and plead this promise without noticing the condition upon which the blessing is promised. We cannot expect heaven to be opened or blessing poured out unless we pay our dues unto the Lord our God and to His cause. There would be no lack of funds for holy purposes if all professing Christians paid their fair share.
Many are poor because they rob God. Many churches, also, miss the visitation of the Spirit because they starve their ministries. If there is no temporal meat for God's servants, we need not wonder if their ministry has been little food in it for our souls. When missions pine for means and the work of the Lord is hindered by an empty treasury, how can we look for a large amount of soul-prosperity?
Come, come! What have I given of late? Have I been mean to my God? Have I stinted my Savior? This will never do. Let me give my Lord Jesus His tithe by helping the poor and aiding His work, and then l shall prove His power to bless me on a large scale.
Sermon Outline
- The Condition of Blessing points: null
- 'A: The Promise of Blessing (Malachi 3:10)'
- 'B: The Condition of the Promise: Paying Tithes'
- The Consequences of Not Paying Tithes points: null
- 'A: Poverty and Lack'
- 'B: Starving Ministries'
- The Call to Action points: null
- 'A: Examine Your Giving'
- 'B: Give Generously to God''s Work'
Key Quotes
“Bring ye all of the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Many are poor because they rob God.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Let me give my Lord Jesus His tithe by helping the poor and aiding His work, and then I shall prove His power to bless me on a large scale.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must examine our giving and make sure we are giving our fair share to God's work.
- Giving generously to God's work is essential for receiving a blessing from God.
- We must not rob God by not giving our tithes, as this can lead to poverty and a lack of soul-prosperity.