One problem in the church has been the employment of the Old Testament model of support seen in the Levitical Priesthood ministry. Our financial system has been structured around the Old Testament priesthood model rather than an apostolic model of giving which is based on relationship. This has developed from an apostate form of thinking, by creating division with what we call clergy and laity. The clergy is seen as the priesthood and the laity is seen as the means of support to that priesthood. The result has been a special "priestly class" or "priestcraft". In the New Testament there is only one priesthood; "the priesthood of all believers" (1 Peter 2:9). In the Old Testament only a select group received grace for this function or special gift. The New Testament church is to be full of grace or gifts manifested in all believers as the Holy Spirit directs and distributes. The New Testament Church is a "gifted community" That community is full of gifts from God and "whosoever" can enter into those gifts. Consider a few scriptures:

• Holy Spirit gift is for all - Acts 2:38-39
  
• The gifts of the Spirit made available to all - 1 Corinthians 12
  
• Tongues is for all - 1 Corinthians 14:5 "I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied"
  
• Prophecy - 1 Corinthians 14:31-32 "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged."
  
• Elder (Bishop) - 1 Timothy 3:1 "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work."
• Ministry Gifts - Ephesians 4:11 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers..."

Let us consider the gift of apostle since that is our topic. God will raise up a man as an apostle—which is "a gift" to the body Christ. He is not better or more important than others. It doesn't make him a different kind of priest than others in the body. He is a gift from Jesus "the chief apostle", which is meant to help equip the saints for the work of ministry. He carries the big picture of the Lord's architecture. The pastoral gift is simply Jesus the Good Shepherd manifested to a body of people. The gift is given with a sphere of responsibility to an individual whom the Lord has appointed to care for God's people in a particular locality. The gift is meant to work with other pastoral gifts and relate to apostolic leadership.

The biblical model reveals that the pastor is not the priest of the house he is the shepherd of that house. He is the pastor, with a governmental gift from God to give oversight and care to the flock. Another way to express this is to say he is a "to bishop" to that part of the church which he has responsibility. He connects with other bishops in the locality to help give care to the church of the Lord in that place.

This booklet is concerned with the problem existing in the church relating to finances that have been structured around this priesthood mentality, pastors that are hired to do the work of the ministry and get paid for it. This is at the heart of how we have structured our finances in the modern church, whether purposely or ignorantly. Many teach tithing based on this priesthood model. In the Old Testament the priests didn't have an inheritance in the land. Their inheritance was the tithe given by the other tribes in obedience to the Lord's statue which He gave Levi.  The Lord released the tithe that belonged to Him and gave it to the priests. Again, God didn't need the money for Himself. He used the tithe to accomplish His purposes through His people. The tithe went to the priesthood, who daily waited on the Lord by serving the tabernacle and the sacrificial ordinances.

That pattern is no longer in effect in terms of financial support. Part of coming out of the apostate condition in our thinking is coming to grips with this vital truth. One brother has called it "Purifying the Altar" (note -name of book and author). Facing this issue how we view finances is important in our current transition, as our paradigm shifts from pastoral to an apostolic way of thinking. We must understand what I am saying and choose to look to God how to become restored to an apostolic mindset.

Covenant of the Heart - Another important point is that the tithe is connected to a covenant made in the heart. Let's review some verses to stimulate our thinking. Proverbs 3:9 tells us to bring what?

It is from this giving firstly to the Lord that blessings come. But it does not stop there for this statement in the context of Proverbs 3:1

Many times in reading the Bible, God's people, take a text they like, and fail to consider it in the context of the whole. In fact, we make a major mistake when we try to understand what God is saying in a text if we don't understand it in light of the eternal purpose of God. This is how error occurs along with many doctrinal differences in the body of Christ. This can also lead to rabbit trails that end up in dead-end roads because we do not keep it in the context of what is God's eternal purpose.

Malachi 3:8 is a scripture that is quoted much regarding tithing and giving which states -

"Where have you robbed me? You have robbed me in tithes and offerings."

But notice again, it is in the context of Verse 1 of this chapter which says -

"My messenger, the messenger of the covenant"

The context of robbing God is in the context of covenant with God.

Two major themes are found when considering the Proverb verse and the Malachi verse: that of heart and that of covenant in relationship to the giving of the tithe. The tithe is first, not second or third, but first which makes it very important. God is making it understandable to us that the issue of giving and how one handles giving is of outmost importance to the Lord. 

I do a bit of counseling in my helping churches around our city. I am very concerned about a couple of areas in people's lives. Many of these people I am counseling are lacking in the foundations of God's Word. I am supposed to fix all their problems, but they have no real foundation to hear godly principles and then apply them. It is not counseling, but discipleship that is required. It is necessary for me to spend time teaching them the Bible and how to think biblically. Let me say, it is not that pastors haven't taught them Sunday after Sunday.

When a pastor teaches the Word of God he is in hope that his people have heard and understood what was taught. The fact is most for get what was taught before the afternoon is over and they certainly do not know how to apply the lesson. The minister has it all organized and thought through. The teaching is clear to the presenter because he has spent forty-five minutes preaching and teaching with the assumption everyone heard it and understood it.

This assumption is not accurate many times. People need to ask questions and get answers. Many do not know how to make application, we assume they know. I am working with people that have been in church for ten, twenty years, and they still do not comprehend biblical basics. It is a burden to my heart because it is critical to the success of the gospel and the transforming of lives. 

The second important area relating to giving is basic. The importance of the tithe principle comes from a covenant heart. One of the churches that I work with provides free counseling sessions for the people that are tithing members. In other words, if they are sowing into the work helping provide for laborers (the staff those being paid to live of the gospel) they are helping and should derive some benefit.  One benefit is the counseling ministry by trained ministry staff.

What I found is that many of people that come to me with their multiple problems aren't givers.  It is a root to many of their problems. If they won't give out of their pocketbooks freely as basic principles of God's Word, it is no wonder they have the issues and problems that plague them, most of which are tied to the heart such as hurts, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment and yes even hatred.

I have found when people loosen up their pocketbook, they get free in other areas of their life. It might take some work to get free, but it took them a long time to get into their messes. But if God's people will loosen up their pocketbooks, they will find that it is directly related to an exchange, it is directly related to covenantal thinking and it is related to the heart.

Next thing the Malachi passage says:

"bring all the tithe into the storehouse".

 Buckle your safety belt here! We have taken the storehouse to mean the "local church" and that is acceptable up to a point. Now pastor, don't drop out on here. The Spirit wants to help move our thinking from "a single local church" to "the church of the locality". Any shepherd that only thinks about himself, and only thinks about his local church, will not enter into the larger dimensions of what the Lord has for him and the people he pastors.

As pastors begin to think in terms of "locality" it will be necessary to sow financially into the larger "storehouse" and away from our own ministry. The people are taught this principle when their taught to bring their tithe into the local church. Pastors take their tithe, if indeed they do tithe at all, and put it back into the same storehouse, their storehouse.  Pastors give to the very storehouse their in charge of, instead of giving their tithe away and supporting a larger base of ministry. IE: apostolic, prophetic, etc.

Are you starting to see a connection in what I am addressing? It is right for the people of God, that are part of a local church and in covenant relationship with their pastor and his wife and the others that are serving in that local church community to bring their tithes into that storehouse, because they're covenantally related in that place.

Leaders need to begin reconsidering how they relate to the bigger picture and how to handle their giving. Well, it is going to be a new way of thinking for many! What I am saying is a shift in our thinking from pastoral to apostolic and is necessary if we are to move ahead in what the Lord is saying and doing in His church. The question that lumens before us, is how do we make this transition in thinking? I believe money plays a very important part in making the transition because how we view money is central to bondage or freedom. The church has been in bondage for years in regard to the control and handling of finances, especially as it relates to ministry outside the local church.