If I asked ten Christians what the Bible says about giving, I imagine many of them would answer with one word.
“Tithe.”
Some of you may have grown up hearing that every Christian is required to give ten percent of their income to the church. Others may have been taught that tithing belonged to the Old Testament and no longer has anything to do with believers today. Perhaps you’ve heard both and wondered which one is true.
Rather than beginning with our traditions, let’s begin where we always should.
Let’s open our Bibles.
Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 9.
Paul writes,
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Notice what Paul doesn’t say.
He doesn’t begin by giving the Corinthians a percentage.
He doesn’t threaten them.
He doesn’t shame them.
He doesn’t tell them to give because everyone else is watching.
Instead, he speaks about the heart.
He tells them not to give reluctantly.
He tells them not to give under compulsion.
That word matters.
Compulsion is pressure.
It is giving because someone has forced your hand.
It is giving because you fear what people will think if you don’t.
It is giving because someone convinced you that God will be disappointed with you if you don’t reach a particular number.
Paul says Christian giving is not to look like that.
Instead, each believer is to give as he has decided in his heart.
Not carelessly.
Not selfishly.
Not impulsively.
Thoughtfully.
Prayerfully.
Willingly.
Why?
Because God loves a cheerful giver.
Now, at this point, someone will naturally ask about the tithe.
That’s a good question.
The tithe was a real command given by God to Israel under the Mosaic covenant. It supported the ministry of the Levites, the worship of Israel, and the care of those within the covenant community. We shouldn’t pretend it never existed.
But notice something.
Paul is writing to a New Testament church about giving.
If there were a universal command requiring every Christian to give ten percent, this would have been a wonderful place to say it.
Instead, Paul speaks about generosity, willingness, and the condition of the heart.
That doesn’t lower God’s standard.
If anything, it raises it.
Under the New Covenant, our question is no longer, “What’s the minimum I have to give?”
Our question becomes, “How can I faithfully steward everything God has entrusted to me?”
Some believers may find that ten percent is a faithful starting point.
Others may be able to give far more.
Still others may be walking through seasons of hardship where even a small gift requires tremendous faith.
Paul doesn’t place all of those believers into the same financial circumstances.
He calls every one of them to the same kind of heart.
A willing heart.
A generous heart.
A cheerful heart.
Remember why Paul is writing these words.
The Corinthians had an opportunity to help fellow believers who were in need.
Giving wasn’t about purchasing God’s favor.
It wasn’t about making themselves more spiritual than someone else.
It was an expression of love.
An expression of gratitude.
An expression of trust that God would continue providing for His people.
Listen again to what Paul says next.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Our confidence is not in the size of our bank account.
Our confidence is in the God who supplies every good thing we have.
So when the offering plate is passed this morning, don’t give because you feel pressured.
Don’t give because you’re trying to earn God’s approval.
Don’t refuse to give because you’re clinging tightly to what God has entrusted to you.
Instead, ask the Lord for a generous heart.
Then give freely, joyfully, and thankfully, knowing that every good gift you possess first came from Him.
That kind of giving is worship.
Step One: How Does the Sermon Begin?
Let’s begin exactly where we began with the previous sermon.
How does this one open?
Does it begin by making us feel guilty?
Does it begin with a story?
Does it begin with an accusation?
Not quite.
It begins with a question.
“If I asked ten Christians what the Bible says about giving…”
That question does something important.
It identifies the subject without telling us what to think about it. The preacher isn’t asking us to feel ashamed before we’ve opened the Scriptures. He’s acknowledging that Christians have different traditions regarding giving and inviting us to examine what the Bible actually says.
That’s a healthy beginning.
Now notice what happens next.
Before offering an answer, the preacher says,
“Let’s open our Bibles.”
That may seem insignificant, but it’s one of the most important moments in the sermon.
The preacher has made a conscious decision that the passage— not his opinion, not the church’s tradition, and not the congregation’s expectations—will determine where the sermon goes.
That doesn’t automatically make it a good sermon.
It simply means it has begun in the right place.
Now ask another question.
Did the introduction prepare you to accept a conclusion?
Or did it prepare you to examine a passage?
There’s an important difference.
The first sermon used emotion to create momentum before the text was ever opened. This sermon uses curiosity. It acknowledges that Christians disagree and invites us to let
Scripture answer the question.
That’s exactly what we want a preacher to do.
But don’t stop asking questions simply because the introduction feels better.
A good beginning is not the same as a faithful sermon.
Now we ask the same question we asked before.
Did the preacher allow the passage to lead the sermon, or did he simply hide his conclusion behind a better introduction?
Let’s find out.
Step Two: What Is the Main Point?
Now that we’ve looked at the introduction, let’s identify the sermon’s main claim.
Take a moment before reading further and summarize it in one sentence.
What is the preacher asking the congregation to believe or do?
You may have noticed something different from the first sermon.
The conclusion is much narrower.
The preacher isn’t saying, “Every Christian must give ten percent.”
He isn’t saying, “Every Christian must sell everything.”
He isn’t saying, “Give until it hurts.”
His central claim is that New Testament giving should be willing, cheerful, and flow from a heart transformed by God’s grace.
That distinction matters.
A faithful preacher should be careful not to claim more than the text claims.
Notice something else.
The sermon also made a historical claim. It stated that the tithe belonged to Israel under the Mosaic covenant and then argued that Paul does not impose that same requirement upon the church in 2 Corinthians 9.
That is an important part of the sermon’s argument.
As readers, we shouldn’t simply nod our heads because it sounds reasonable.
We should test it.
Did the preacher accurately describe the Old Testament tithe?
Did he accurately represent Paul’s teaching?
Did he draw a conclusion that naturally grows out of the passage, or did he quietly insert one of his own?
Those are fair questions.
Remember, our goal isn’t to determine whether we already agree with the preacher.
Our goal is to determine whether the preacher has earned our agreement by faithfully handling the Word of God.
At this point, the sermon has made two primary claims.
First, that Christian giving should be voluntary, cheerful, and motivated by gratitude rather than compulsion.
Second, that 2 Corinthians 9 does not command Christians to tithe but instead emphasizes the attitude of the giver.
Now we know exactly what we’re testing.
The only question that remains is whether the biblical text actually supports those conclusions. That is where we turn next.
Step Three: Did the Bible Lead the Sermon?
Now we ask the same question we asked of the first sermon.
Did the preacher begin with a conclusion and then search for verses to support it?
Or did the conclusion grow naturally out of the passage?
Go back and notice how much time the preacher spent in 2 Corinthians 9.
He didn’t rush away from it.
He read the passage.
He explained what Paul said.
He pointed out what Paul emphasized.
He even pointed out what Paul didn’t say.
That last point is worth noticing.
Sometimes arguments from silence are dangerous. Just because an author doesn’t mention something doesn’t mean he rejects it. However, in this case the preacher wasn’t trying to prove that tithing is wrong because Paul didn’t mention it. He was making a much narrower observation.
Paul had an opportunity to command a percentage.
Instead, he emphasized the heart of the giver.
That is an observation anyone can verify simply by reading the passage.
Now consider the discussion about the tithe.
Did the preacher ignore it?
No.
He addressed it directly.
He acknowledged that it was a genuine command given by God.
He explained who received it and what purpose it served.
Then he returned to the passage he was preaching.
Notice the difference between that and the previous sermon.
The first sermon jumped from passage to passage until they all blended together.
This preacher briefly stepped away from 2 Corinthians to answer a question many listeners would naturally have, then immediately returned to Paul’s argument.
The passage remained the center of the sermon.
That’s an important distinction.
Cross references should support the main passage.
They should not replace it.
Finally, ask yourself one more question.
Could you have followed this sermon if the preacher had never mentioned his own opinions?
I think you could have.
Most of what he said was simply an explanation of Paul’s words. That’s one of the characteristics of faithful exposition. The preacher’s role becomes less about giving us his ideas and more about helping us see what the biblical author has already said.
That doesn’t mean the sermon is above criticism.
It simply means that, so far, the preacher has allowed the text to lead the conversation instead of asking the text to follow him.
Step Four: Did the Preacher Deal Honestly with the Difficult Questions?
One of the easiest ways to make a sermon sound convincing is to ignore the passages that people are most likely to ask about.
This preacher didn’t do that.
In fact, he anticipated the very question many people would have asked.
“What about the tithe?”
Whether you ultimately agree with his conclusion or not, notice what he didn’t do.
He didn’t pretend the Old Testament never taught tithing.
He didn’t mock people who believe Christians should tithe.
He didn’t dismiss the question as unimportant.
Instead, he acknowledged that the tithe was a real command given by God. He explained who received that command and then asked whether Paul places the same requirement upon the church in the passage he was preaching.
That is an honest way to handle a difficult question.
Now ask yourself another question.
Did the preacher answer the objection from the text?
Or did he simply state his opinion?
Go back and read that section again.
You’ll notice that he didn’t spend several minutes attacking those who disagree with him. He didn’t question their motives or intelligence. He simply explained why he understood the passage the way he did and then returned to Paul’s argument.
That’s worth noticing.
Faithful preaching doesn’t require us to spend half the sermon criticizing everyone who holds a different view. Sometimes the most persuasive thing a preacher can do is acknowledge the question, answer it carefully, and continue walking through the passage.
Now let me ask one final question before we move on.
Even if you disagree with this preacher’s conclusion about tithing, did he earn the right to be heard?
I believe he did.
You may still arrive at a different conclusion after studying the Scriptures for yourself, and that’s perfectly appropriate. Our goal isn’t to agree with every preacher we hear. Our goal is to determine whether they have handled God’s Word honestly, carefully, and fairly.
Those are not the same thing.
A sermon can be faithfully argued and still leave room for disagreement on secondary issues.
That is very different from a sermon that reaches its conclusion by ignoring context, forcing passages together, or claiming more than the text demonstrates.
As we’ve worked through this sermon, I hope you’ve noticed that discernment isn’t about asking whether a preacher agrees with us.
It’s about asking whether he has dealt honestly with the Word of God.
Step Five: Did the Application Grow Naturally from the Text?
Now we’ve reached the point where many sermons either become very helpful or quietly leave the biblical text behind.
Application.
Ask yourself a simple question.
If you had stopped reading at the end of 2 Corinthians 9, would the preacher’s applications have surprised you?
Or would you have expected them?
Let’s walk through them.
The preacher encouraged believers to give willingly.
Paul said that.
The preacher encouraged believers to give cheerfully.
Paul said that.
The preacher warned against giving under compulsion.
Again, Paul said that.
The preacher reminded us that our giving should be an act of worship flowing from gratitude for God’s grace.
As we continue reading the chapter, that emphasis becomes increasingly clear. Paul isn’t merely collecting money. He’s describing generosity that results in thanksgiving to God, strengthens fellowship among believers, and displays the grace of God at work in His people.
Notice what the preacher didn’t do.
He didn’t tell the congregation exactly how much they had to give.
He didn’t establish a percentage where Paul established none.
He didn’t promise that everyone who gave would become wealthy.
He didn’t threaten those who gave less than someone else.
Instead, he left the congregation with the same responsibility Paul left the Corinthians.
Examine your own heart before God.
That doesn’t remove responsibility.
In many ways, it increases it.
It’s often easier to obey a rule than to honestly examine our hearts. A person can mechanically give ten percent while harboring resentment, pride, or greed. Paul reaches beneath the amount and addresses the attitude.
That is the application the preacher emphasized.
Whether you personally believe Christians should tithe or not, ask yourself this question:
Did the preacher ask more of the congregation than Paul asked of the Corinthians?
I don’t believe he did.
He allowed Paul’s application to remain Paul’s application.
That is one of the clearest signs that a preacher is allowing Scripture—not personal preference—to shape the sermon.
Step Six: What Evidence Was Left Out?
By now you’ve probably noticed that this question appears every time we evaluate a sermon.
That’s intentional.
A faithful sermon doesn’t have to address every passage in the Bible. If it did, we’d never finish a sermon. The question isn’t whether the preacher covered everything. The question is whether he ignored evidence that would significantly challenge his conclusion.
So let’s ask it.
Did this preacher leave out any passages that would overturn what he taught?
Take a few moments and think about it before reading further.
The answer, at least as I see it, is no.
You may know passages that you believe support tithing under the New Covenant. Someone else may know passages they think strengthen the preacher’s position even more. Those are worthwhile discussions, and Christians have had them for many years.
Notice, however, that those passages don’t necessarily overturn the sermon’s main point.
Remember what that point was.
Not that Christians should never give ten percent.
Not that tithing is sinful.
Not that churches should stop teaching generosity.
His central claim was much narrower.
Paul’s instruction in 2 Corinthians 9 emphasizes willing, cheerful, heartfelt generosity rather than placing believers under compulsion.
Everything in the sermon should be measured against that claim.
As I read through it, I don’t find a passage that forces me to reject that conclusion.
Could the preacher have said more?
Certainly.
Every sermon leaves something unsaid.
The question is whether what was left unsaid changes what was actually preached.
I don’t believe it does.
That doesn’t mean every listener must agree with every conclusion the preacher reached. Faithful Christians may continue discussing the relationship between the Old and New Covenants, the role of the tithe, and the nature of Christian stewardship.
What it does mean is that this sermon did not arrive at its conclusion by ignoring inconvenient evidence or pretending difficult questions didn’t exist.
That’s an important distinction.
A sermon doesn’t have to answer every question to be faithful.
It does need to answer honestly the questions that bear directly on the point it is making.
So far, I believe this preacher has done that.
Step Seven: What Is Our Verdict?
So, after asking all of those questions, what do we conclude?
I believe this was a faithful sermon.
Notice what I did not say.
I didn’t say it was a perfect sermon.
I didn’t say every Christian everywhere would agree with every conclusion the preacher reached.
I said it faithfully handled the passage it preached.
There is an important difference.
The preacher began with a text.
He stayed in that text.
He explained what Paul said before moving to application.
He addressed an obvious question without allowing that question to become the center of the sermon.
Most importantly, he resisted the temptation to place burdens upon the congregation that Paul himself did not place upon the Corinthians.
That is the mark of faithful preaching.
One of the things I appreciate most about this sermon is what it refused to do.
It refused to manipulate.
It refused to threaten.
It refused to promise earthly riches.
It refused to establish a percentage where the passage established none.
Instead, it trusted that Paul’s words were sufficient.
That doesn’t mean everyone listening will leave with the exact same convictions about every aspect of Christian giving.
Nor should we expect they will.
Faithful preaching is not measured by whether every listener reaches complete agreement with the preacher. It is measured by whether the preacher has represented God’s Word honestly and carefully enough that the congregation can see why he reached his conclusions.
There is one final lesson I hope you take away from this exercise.
A good sermon doesn’t make the preacher the hero.
It doesn’t leave you talking about how clever, passionate, or persuasive he was.
It sends you back to your Bible.
If, after hearing a sermon, you find yourself wanting to reopen the passage and read it again because you understand it more clearly than before, there is a good chance you have benefited from faithful preaching.
That should always be our goal.
Not to produce impressive sermons.
Not to win arguments.
Not to gather followers.
But to help God’s people hear God’s Word more clearly than when they first opened the page.
That is preaching worth listening to.
What Did We Learn?
If you’ve worked through both of these sermons, you’ve probably noticed something important.
The process never changed.
We asked the same questions.
We followed the same steps.
We held both sermons to the same standard.
That is exactly how discernment should work.
Our responsibility isn’t to decide ahead of time whether a sermon is good or bad. Our responsibility is to listen carefully, examine the Scriptures, and allow the evidence to lead us to an honest conclusion.
That also means we should be willing to admit when a sermon has handled God’s Word well.
Sometimes Christians become so concerned about avoiding false teaching that they begin assuming every preacher is hiding an error somewhere. That isn’t discernment.
Discernment isn’t looking for mistakes.
It’s looking for faithfulness.
When a preacher allows the biblical text to lead the sermon, respects its context, explains it honestly, and applies it without adding to or taking away from it, we should be thankful. God has given His church faithful men who labor to teach His Word well, and they deserve encouragement, not unnecessary suspicion.
At the same time, faithful preaching doesn’t exempt us from examining what we hear. The Bereans were commended because they searched the Scriptures to see whether what Paul said was true. If the Apostle Paul welcomed that kind of examination, every preacher today should welcome it as well.
That is the balance we’re trying to develop.
Neither gullibility nor cynicism.
Neither believing everything we hear nor doubting everything we hear.
Instead, we become careful listeners who love God’s Word enough to test every sermon by the same standard, regardless of who is standing behind the pulpit.
As you continue through the remaining sermons, resist the temptation to guess whether the sermon is “supposed” to be right or wrong. Ask the same questions you’ve already learned to ask. Let the biblical text guide your conclusions.
In the end, that’s the habit we’re trying to build—not the ability to spot a trick, but the discipline of carefully testing everything by the Word of God.