Derek Prince - God Does Not Need Your Tips
This is a clip from the full sermon The Christian And His Money.
Another thing you need to remember as Paul states in Galatians 6:9. Very important. Galatians 6:9: Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Don't get discouraged. When a farmer sows his seed, he doesn't get the harvest next week. There's a gap between sowing and reaping. Many years back I was temporarily working on a farm in Ireland. There was a little boy of 6 from the family of the farmer. He wanted to plant potatoes. So he got a little plot and he planted his potatoes. But after a week he saw no signs of them growing, so he went to dig up the potatoes to see if they were growing. Well, he dug those potatoes up so many times, they never grew, you see.
So, bear in mind there's a gap. I really believe, by the grace and mercy of God, I am reaping today things I sowed more than 40 years ago. Don't get discouraged. It's such a vivid picture, isn't it? You have in your hand these precious, wonderful seeds. And, you can turn them into bread and eat them, use them for yourself. But if you turn all your seeds into bread, what will happen, one day you'll have nothing to sow. On the other hand, if you sow your seed, it seems crazy, because you're going to take what could be food and you're going to throw it into the earth, cover it over and leave it. That's like giving, you see? In a sense, you've got to open your hands and let it go. That's faith. If you're not willing to let it go, if you just use it all for yourself, there will be no harvest. And one day you'll be hungry.
The final principle which I think is perhaps the most important of all and often misunderstood, is this: giving is part of worship. Really, we cannot properly and scripturally worship God without giving. I tell you, I am so embarrassed sometimes in churches and meetings, when the person leading the meeting begins to apologize for taking up an offering. My reaction is if you have to apologize for it, please don't do it. Because, that's a totally wrong attitude. If we're going to worship God at some point or other giving will be part of our worship.
Let me show you just two Scriptures. Exodus 23:15. This is the ordinance for the feasts of Israel. Three times every year it was ordained that all male Israelites would come up to Jerusalem for the three main feasts of the Lord. This is what the Lord says about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover. This is Exodus 23:15: You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread, you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib; for in it you came out of Egypt.
And then there's this little extra statement; none shall appear before Me empty-handed. When you come up to worship Me and celebrate everybody has to bring an offering. Don't you appear before Me without your offering. And then this is made general in Psalm 96:8. Psalm 96:8: Give to the LORD the glory due His name. That's worship, isn't it? But the verse doesn't end there. Bring an offering, and come into His courts. I believe, in a certain sense we have no right to come to God's courts without an offering. God says, First get your offering ready, then come to My court. One of the things that I like to do, I like to see people do, is not pass the plate or the bag, but let people bring their offerings. I think there's a tremendous difference. Have a place at the front and get the people out of their seats. And let them come worshipfully praising God and bringing the offering. And remember, that is an essential part of your worship.
Let me say just in closing, I hope you can receive it, God does not need your tips. You don't need to treat God the way you treat a waiter or a porter. I've seen people in a meeting when the plate is passed they reach into their pocket, feel around, come out with the first coin and drop it in. God can do without your tips. Giving to God is something very sacred it's something that should be done prayerfully, worshipfully and in faith. I feel that many, many times God's people are being denied a blessing, because they've not given to understand that when we worship God, we bring an offering. Something that maybe costs us something, something that's precious. If we don't have anything to bring, it's not a sin to remain without. But please, if I can say it again, don't tip Almighty God. He can do all right without our tips.