The amplified Bible says, ‘Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]. But I have [your full payment] and more; I have everything I need and am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. [They are the] fragrant odor of an offering and sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights.’
Worshipping the Lord with our financial offerings and honoring Jesus with our tithes is part of the New Covenant way to receive provision provided and laid up for us in heavenly places.
I have noticed that much of the church at large has gone from a legalistic, obligatory, fear based system of trying to manipulate people to give, to totally deemphasizing giving of any kind. Scripture is very clear that in the New Covenant, Jesus receives out tithes as worship as a Priest after the order of Melchizedek and that giving, generous worshippers giving generous offerings are prized by the Lord above all others – ‘God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving]. – 2 Corinthians 9:7 (AMPC)
In the Old Covenant, tithes and offerings were mandated by Law as worship – in the New Covenant we worship in our giving and bringing tithes to Jesus out of the overflow. In the New Covenant our financial worship is received as a sweet aroma and fragrance. In the Old Covenant, they used to worship the Lord by burning sweet incense – this burning of incense as worship was a type and a shadow of our New Covenant worship through financial giving and tithing.
Paul the apostle emphasizes… “Not because I’m requesting a gift, but so that the fruit of your generosity may bring you an abundant reward”. Worshipping the Lord with our finances brings the worshipper an abundant reward! Even though we are supporting the gospel through our giving, even though we are worshipping the Lord through our giving, the real reason that the Lord wants us to sow our finances is because He wants to bless us! When we place anything of ours into the Lord’s hands, whatever we give is given back, pressed down, shaken together and running over. Our giving as worship transfers us from living by natural sources of supply to supernatural sources of supply.
Pray and ask the Lord for revelation about worshipping Him with your finances. His desire is to prosper you and bless you with overflowing abundance!
Blessings on you, Nick
