Tithe Sermon pt. 10

F. How is the tithe computed?

1. The tithe is God's 10% tax on our imcrease or income. It is not a tax on wealth or property, but only on the income we receive from our labor and our accumulated capital.

2. The tithe is absolutely equitable - everyone pays exactly the same percent of their increase.

a. It's not a flat fee like a head tax or poll tax but a flat % - the more one receives as God's steward, the more that's entrusted to him, the more that person pays. Deuteronomy 16:17 says,
"Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you."

A progressive tax rate always turns taxation into a politcal football, victimizing one group for the benefit of another.

b. Under this standard, some celebrated philanthropists are actually paying too little.

1) The businessman who makes $10 million and is praised for giving $400,000 to his church and missions. (10% is 1,000,000.)

2) On the other hand there's the widow and her mite. She voluntarily gave more than the tithe; she put in all that she had.