Living Without Mammon: Tithe, Firstfruits, and a Generosity Plan

Introduction

This Sunday, Quentin closed out the "God or Mammon" series at Momentum, eight weeks of letting the Bible speak concretely about money, finances, and how all of it shapes our hearts. After laying out the big principles, he ends with something very concrete: what does a life that practices God's generosity actually look like?

To answer that, he takes you through three Old Testament texts, Deuteronomy 14, Deuteronomy 26, and the book of Ruth. Three examples, three forms of generosity, and one single call: living without Mammon is not a spiritual slogan, it is a plan you lay before God and keep.

Three questions guide the message: is the tithe still for you? How do you celebrate God with your money instead of fearing it? And who, concretely, do you want God to use you to open a future for?

Outline of the sermon

1. Deuteronomy 14: the tithe, or the art of planning generosity

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 introduces the tithe: 10% of the harvest, of the herds, of the wine and the oil, every year, eaten and drunk in the presence of the Lord, with the family, at the place the Lord will choose. This is not first of all a religious tax. It is a moment when you take a portion of what God has given and rejoice in it together in his presence.

Two goals emerge from the text. First, taking care of the Levites, who own no land and live entirely from serving at the temple, the community that receives spiritual care takes charge of the physical needs of those who serve it. Then, rejoicing as a family in God's goodness, with "anything you wish." The tithe is joyful. It reminds you every year who everything you have actually belongs to.

Should Christians of the 21st century still give "the tithe" today? The answer is no, but. No, because we are no longer under the old covenant. But the needs it covered are still there, and the New Testament tackles them head on. Paul writes to the Corinthians: those who proclaim the good news should earn their living from the good news (1 Corinthians 9:13-14); elders who lead well deserve double honor, both position and pay (1 Timothy 5:17-18).

The Bible no longer prescribes a precise amount. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, does not give a figure, he gives a principle: "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21). His standard is not 10%, it is generosity. And depending on the situation, 10% can be insufficient; in other cases, less than 10% is already generous. Each person discerns it before God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, not by their emotions or their habits.

Pastorally speaking, if you are just starting out in generosity, aiming for 10% of what you have for the Lord (whether in your local church or in other ministries), is a very good benchmark. And here is the non negotiable point: when you want to live without Mammon, you plan. The local church is the first spiritual line item. If you are not yet giving regularly to the place where you go to worship God, start there.

2. Deuteronomy 14 (continued): a second tithe for the poorest

Many people don't realize it: the Bible knows several tithes. In verse 28, every three years, an entire tithe is set aside within the towns for the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. Scholars debate whether this is 10% on top, or the same 10% redirected. The principle, though, does not change: God asks his people to plan for giving to the poorest.

Usually, when we give to the poor, we do it on the spot, on emotion, when we come across someone in distress. That's good. But have you ever thought about setting aside a portion ahead of time, telling yourself: "Lord, this, I want to give to those who have less"? These are the most vulnerable people in society who are targeted: the foreigner with no land, the orphan with no family, the widow with no husband, the three most fragile figures of that time.

The New Testament confirms this same heart. Acts 2 through 6 shows a church pooling resources for those in need, going as far as creating an entire ministry (Acts 6) to organize distribution to widows. Living without Mammon is not just about trying to forget its grip. It is about preparing yourself, planning, being ready in your heart before the situation arises.

3. Deuteronomy 26: firstfruits, or celebrating God with your money

Second example, Deuteronomy 26:1-11: the firstfruits. When an Israelite enters the land and gathers his first harvests, he takes a basket of them and brings it to the sanctuary. There, he makes a striking confession: "My father was a wandering Aramean... we cried out to the Lord, he heard us, he brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey."

He tells his own story. He places everything he owns back into the thread of God's goodness. Then he sets down the basket, bows down, and, in verse 11, he rejoices in all the good things the Lord has given, him, his family, the Levite, and the foreigner living among him. Generosity here becomes a celebration, a public festival, where the most vulnerable are invited to sit down alongside you.

The question is direct: in your year, are there moments when you celebrate God with your money? Not just barbecues and get togethers, but real occasions where you look back, count up the times you were rescued, a new job, exams passed, a place to live, a healing, and where you invite others to be thankful with you? Being thankful with your money is also a way of fighting Mammon. There too, you break free from its grip.

4. Ruth 4: investing your treasure in someone to open up a future for them

Third example. The previous week, Yann had opened up the parable of the talents (Matthew 25): God entrusts each of us with time, talents, and treasure, and he will ask for an account of them. Investing my time and my talents, that's easy to picture. But my treasure, beyond the tithe, what does that look like?

Ruth 4 gives a striking picture of it. Ruth is a Moabite, a widow, landless, with no future in Israel. Her mother in law Naomi, also a widow and getting on in years, has nothing left but a small piece of land to sell. Under the law, a close relative (a "redeemer") could buy it back so the family inheritance would stay in the family. Boaz, a more distant cousin, arranges to do so. Another relative, with a higher claim, first declares himself ready to redeem the field. A good deal.

But Boaz changes the terms. "If you buy the field, you will also marry Ruth" (Ruth 4:5). The other man backs out at once: this would harm his own inheritance. Boaz, for his part, accepts. He does not just want to help Ruth out with a little money. He redeems the field, he marries her, he gives her descendants, and it is that line that will inherit everything. Boaz invests in Ruth's whole life. He gives her a future.

Why? Boaz does not say he loves her. He says he admires her. In chapter 3, he is moved by Ruth's faithfulness toward Naomi, by the way she embodies chesed, that faithful kindness of God, in a time when everyone was doing whatever they pleased (the time of the judges). He sees God at work in this woman. So he chooses to invest in her, and from that line will come David, and then Jesus.

One of the great ways to counter Mammon, to store up for yourself treasures in heaven, is not only through dramatic acts of generosity. It is knowing how to invest in key people or organizations, for the long haul, because you see God at work there. Think about it: in whom, in what, do you want God to use your money to open up a future?

5. Your generosity plan for the summer and for the new season

Three very concrete challenges. One: are you giving regularly and in a planned way to your local church, the place where you go to worship God? Two: have you set aside a portion for the poorest, not just on impulse but as part of your budget? Three: to whom, or to which ministry, are you ready to commit, in your own measure, to invest in a future that matters for the kingdom?

This summer, take the time to put your generosity plan in writing. Not to give for giving's sake. Not because the church needs money. Because the Christian wants every aspect of his life (down to his wallet), to bring glory to God as the new season begins. We start from the table, the table of the generosity of Jesus who gave everything to save you, and go out on mission into your summer.

Key takeaways

Living without Mammon does not happen by accident: it is planned, like any spiritual battle.
Jesus does not set a percentage, he gives a principle: "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." 10% is a good benchmark if you are just starting out.
The Bible includes a tithe for the poorest (Deuteronomy 14:28-29), set aside a portion before the need even arises.
Firstfruits (Deuteronomy 26) turn generosity into a celebration: you tell of God's goodness, you invite others, you rejoice.
Like Boaz with Ruth, mature generosity invests in a person or a ministry to open up a future for them, not just to help them out for a moment.

Personal application

Are you giving today in a regular and planned way to your local church, or is it still on a case by case basis?
What concrete portion of your budget can you set aside, in advance, for the poorest, the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, the person with no voice?
Is there, in your year, a moment of celebration where you tell God, out loud and with others, what he has done for you?
Who is your "Ruth"? A person or a ministry you want to invest in over the long term because you see God at work there?
This summer, what decision are you making right now so that your wallet, come the new season, will bring glory to God just like the rest of your life?

Verses cited

FAQ

Is the tithe (10%) still an obligation for Christians?

No, but. The New Testament no longer prescribes a precise percentage: we are no longer under the old covenant. That said, it maintains the needs the tithe used to cover (supporting those who proclaim the gospel, caring for the poorest) and Jesus raises the standard: "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." 10% remains an excellent benchmark for getting started. Depending on the situation, that may already be far too little, or, for someone else, already quite generous.

How do I know how much to give, if the Bible no longer sets a figure?

Each person discerns it before God, with the help of the Holy Spirit. It should be decided by neither fear, nor habit, nor emotion. The benchmark is twofold: am I giving regularly and in a planned way to my local church, and am I setting aside a portion for the poorest and for what matters for the kingdom? Christian generosity is prepared for, it is not improvised.

Why bring up Ruth and Boaz in a sermon about money?

Because Boaz does not settle for a small handout. He redeems the field, he marries Ruth, he gives her descendants, he invests his money, his name, and his life in a person in whom he sees God at work. It is a powerful biblical model of generosity that opens up a future, beyond the spontaneous and the symbolic. In your own measure, in whom do you want your treasure to open up a future?

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