Tithing

good morning.

Today I'm going to talk about principles of fighting in

the Seven Day Adventist church and a little bit of

context in what's happening in the Philippines.

Um, let's talk about the principles of typing first Prezi

here we have in the principles we have we talked

about, Where does the type cold Who are the recipients?

And what about the leaders?

In terms of destination, there are three principles.

Number one.

The ties is not ours.

We return it to God.

I think we understand.

It's very well, right?

So it is not ours.

It is not something that we own and then we

give away.

But it is something that we just return.

Number two.

The type is not payment to any service is received.

And I think this is very important because, um more

often than not, the type is being viewed as payment

to the pastor or to the conference or toe.

Any ministerial service is rendered.

This is not the case.

It is not the payment.

It is not a compensation for any service is and

principle number three.

The tight should not be used as leverage for change

for change's, uh demanded and this is tied to the

concept of number two that it is not a payment.

Since it is not a payment, it's not a compensation.

We cannot receive it.

We cannot hold it because it's not ours in the

first place.

And so it should not be used as a way

to force the conference or the leaders or the pastor

to do something that we want them to do.

So it's not.

It should not be used as leverage.

So these are the three principles, and I think generally

speaking and universally speaking, the entire church agree that these

are important principles regarding the death.

Now let's go toe the recipients.

Who are the recipients off the site?

According to the Bible.

First we get numbers 18 21.

We way.

We understand that the ISS specifically given, especially during the

time of the Israel lights, specifically given toe the divine's

and then in Chapter three, verse 10 and of course,

also a number of Chapter 18.

When you give them to the Levite, they have a

certain storehouse and that storehouses the temple so the tights

would be distributed to the priests and the live It's

up there was ah ah, question here in the Philippines,

from one off the directors, no less.

Uh, that director wanted toe do a study on what

is the storehouse?

Actually, that leader wanted toe goto ias for a doctoral

study and the very focus off that directors well, concern

would be what really is the storehouse in the Bible.

ISAT the local churches Is the local conference the union,

as is the general conference.

Uh, well, I think that's open to discussion.

I'm sure there will be a lot of things that

will be said about that.

But at least Princip in principle, we understand that the

fight should be gathered in a certain place.

So it's not to be given toe a pastor off

a local church on Lee and remains there.

Now. It has to be given toe a certain place

in this case, the storehouses, the temple.

And it has to be distributed toe the ministers or

the priest and the Levite.

And so probably we can get that principle also, in

our case that our storehouse would be the conference.

You know, it goes up, we understand the system, but

then it is distributed third principle here in the Christian

dispensation in Christianity.

It is now assigned toe organized, and that's the key

word. Organized ministries off the church.

It's not for independent ministries.

It's for organized ministers off the church Onda.

We find that in first screen since 9 13 and

for, uh, appeals to people toe support the ministry also

in much of chapter 23.

23 when Jesus was telling them You are doing that

I think in all these things.

But you forget the important matters of the law.

You have to do all of those together.

And so even in Christianity, the idea is there is

an organization and there is a ministry that needs to

be done by the people assigned toe such tasks.

And so that type ISS a funding for that.

Ellen G.

White indicated that the Treasury off the conference union or

mission for gospel work is, well, the storehouse.

So here we have Ellen White.

This is in TMT await and 700 releases.

366 Here we have, uh ah!

Black and white statement by Ellen White saying that in

our organization in the 17th of the church, the Treasury

is the conference the union or the mission.

So whatever is, uh, controlling the local church.

And so these are the recipients, according to the Bible,

going back to the principles were discussing.

Now, the question is, we are giving the tights to

the storehouse and you know, people are there.

It's not like angels air working there.

I mean, there are still people there, right?

What if the people fail?

What if the leaders failed to manage the ties properly

according to what we want?

Um, here are four principles off leadership or failure of

leadership and in relation, toe by thing.

Nehemiah, Chapter 13, verse 11.

We find number one that Nehemiah condemns those who withhold

types so dive withholding or holding off ties.

And you understand this eyes condemned by.

So even if you think that the leaders are not

doing what they're supposed to do in the same age,

you're not supposed to hold your tired.

So what are the principles then?

Much of treat then is the same in the same

way. My like I was saying, you are robbing God

because you're holding your ties because you think that you

are well, you know better than the leaders and the

leaders air corrupt and the very versus we usually read

every Saturday for for offertory, right?

Um, it's about that.

You know, you are withholding your ties on.

You are not essentially punishing the fights or the priest,

but you are robbing God in that practice.

The primary spiritually responsibility off the members is not Togo.

Verne. You know, the church administration, like the leaders through

holding, are holding off time but to return the time.

And, of course, together with other matters.

Chapter 23 23.

So are spiritually responsibility as a church.

As a church member, it's not toe, you know, see

what's going on in the church.

I mean, what I mean is, it's not toe, uh,

holding the reins of the administration of the church that

that Issa responsibility.

We have to know that we have to know what's

going on.

But that is not the primary spiritually responsibility, especially when

it comes to type giving because in Nehemiah and in

Molokai also, and, uh, and Ellen White's writings, we find

that these leaders, they nevertheless should be reproved or if

they don't, um, reform in their ways, they should be

removed Ellen White was very clear on that matter that

thes church leaders who are not functioning according toe there,

uh, duties to the church and to God they should

be removed.

And so, yes, number.

We have two things here when there is failure of

leadership in relation to the ties.

First principle, this you shall never with all your ties.

Second principle is that a ring leader or leaders should

be punished, removed or reproved.

So these are the principles governing our types giving now

what is happening in the Philippines.

Let me just give you a very short and brief

and probably some of the cases here are also universal

I thing and Philippine adventis him.

Generally, it's a non issue.

Members in the Philippines are by and large faithful type

givers it Z.

It's not a question, you know, when you become an

advantage in the Philippines, that's one of the things that

you accept and you embrace and you become very I

would even say fanatic about I know of people with

this ideas about anything, right, and that's generally speaking a

positive. A good thing in the Philippines Thai thing.

Is that an issue we are actually known and even

criticized by other churches in this country.

The other churches, because we die and they don't.

And they say, you know, we are milking are our

brethren. So that's a non issue.

We accepted that stewardship off course as toe individual faithfulness

who took can tell, right only the holy Spirit.

But, uh, Stickley speaking, I would say that we are

faithful in the Philippines in a t least in the

way we understand Maybe not in the way we keep,

but the way when we understand and profess, uh, and

tights giving now in large congregations.

Okay, where the overall is substantial.

And I know off a church, for example, here in

South Central, uh, in the conference I serve, they have

one of the biggest, uh, givers, uh, remit sides at

about 7 to 8 million pesos per year.

And that's way up there in terms off this particular

conference because this is a provincial conference and that seven

million per year, So in large congregations like that, and

of course, in Metro Manila, you will have a lot

more churches that will have Remittance says about that much.

The site in this congregations, The site is sadly used

as leverage.

This is principal number three in the very first light

right toe force the conference to yield to the whims

of the local congregation.

They want I personally know of the church in Metro

Manila. Of course.

Um, when the pastor was removed, it za one district

church where the pastor is removed.

They wanted the password.

Toby remained.

But the conference and no Yesto stayed here for 10

years or so.

So he has to go out and move on.

And the church if you do that.

People with all tied.

And the church was like at that time there was

a new president.

So he didn't know about this church, right?

And said, Okay, I don't care.

I mean, this is a conference decision, and he did

remove that pastor, and true enough, the leaders of that

local congregation with hold their type, withheld their type.

And after just two months or three months, I think

just a quarter, not even half a year.

The conference yielded and then reassigned the pastor.

And and ever since then, that local church was, you

know, never the same, you know, they knew they have

something against the conference because now, now that's the problem

of the local church.

Now, let me talk about the problem of the conference.

The problem is, ministerial service's are typically associated with type

returns, and so you cannot necessarily put all the blame

to the local congregation when they would hold tight.

Because that's how you treat bite.

Uh uh, Directors come to your church.

If you're a good diet keeper at the church is

an important church, and it shouldn't be the case in

the Philippines thesis.

Sadly, the reality churches that we meet large amounts of

type are usually favored by the directors and by the

conference at large.

And so they appealed.

Toe all of us and and our take away.

So what's the What's the take away?

Sorry. While tie thing is a personal devotion, it has

institutional repercussions.

Yes, you decide individually, but your decision affects the institution.

Whether you're typing is small or large.

Number two.

If that I think is not payment for ministerial service's,

then such should not be in proportion to tights received,

and usually, as I mentioned, this is what's happening.

And so my appeal to you and to all of

us is this that our church members that they pray

to God and the Church of God and its leaders

to remain loyal to the Lord in the matter of

time. The Lord is more concerned for his church than

any one off us ISS.

And we can rest assured that he will guide us

to safety.

Good morning, everybody.

And thank you for your time.

Tithing

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