"Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest."

1 Corinthians 9:10

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In this Sunday’s message, Pastor Steve Kelly invites to look at the foundation God lays for generosity from Genesis to Revelation. Tithing is not a human invention, not a church strategy, not a financial system. It is a theological truth revealed across Scripture—rooted in God’s priority, God’s order, and God’s heart for the world He loves. Giving is not about money, it’s about who is first.

Passover

• Old Testament command: Exodus 12 establishes Passover as a lasting ordinance.
• Israel applied the lamb’s blood for protection and covering.
• New Testament fulfillment: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor. 5:7)
• Meaning through the cross: Jesus fulfills Passover, so the ritual does not continue as a requirement.
• Passover passes through the cross fulfilled / obsolete.

Sabbath

• Old Testament command: Exodus 20 calls Israel to “remember the Sabbath,” rooted in creation and covenant identity.
• New Testament reframing: Paul teaches that some honor one day as sacred while others view all days alike (Rom. 14:5–6).
• Jesus clarifies that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).
• Meaning through the cross: Sabbath shifts from a legal demand to a principle of rest, trust, and devotion.
• Sabbath passes through the cross changed / morphed.

Adultery

• Old Testament standard: “You shall not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14)
• New Testament intensification: Jesus raises the standard from outward action to inward desire: lust is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28).
• Meaning through the cross: The moral call doesn’t loosen, purity deepens to the level of the heart.
• Adultery passes through the cross elevated / intensified.
  

Honor Your Father & Mother

• Old Testament command + promise: Exodus 20:12 ties honor to long life and flourishing.
• New Testament continuity: Paul repeats the command directly in Ephesians 6:1–3, affirming both the principle and promise.
• Meaning through the cross: No reduction, no revision.
• Honor Your Father & Mother passes through the cross unchanged / the same.

Tithing aligns with honor

• Before the Law: Cain and Abel reveal first-fruits worship; Abraham tithes a tenth to Melchizedek (a Christ-figure), showing tithing as a pre-Law principle.
• In the Law: Moses formalizes the tithe to resource God’s workforce (Numbers 18).

In the New Testament:

• Jesus affirms tithing without letting it replace weightier matters (Matt. 23:23).
• Paul reinforces the same resourcing principle for those who preach and lead (1 Cor. 9:13–14).
• Meaning through the cross: The purpose remains, but the motive is purified. Tithing becomes worship that declares God first and funds His mission.
• Tithing passes through the cross unchanged in purpose but deepened in motive.

Discussion Questions

1. How does Jesus fulfilling Passover change how you read Old Testament commands today?
2. What does a real Sabbath look like for you right now—rest you choose, not rules you follow?
3. What might shift if you saw tithing as putting God first, not just giving money?