When you get paid how do you feel?
Do you feel like you have enough to pay your bills and have some left over?
Overall, how do you feel about your money? So, do you have a good feeling about your money or a bad feeling about your money?
Do you think about how much you pay out?
Do you think about how much you like to make?
Do you worry you don’t have enough?
Do you give your money any spiritual thought?
How much of it do you give away?
Has the thought ever crossed your mind that you’re supposed to give to your church?
Has it ever dawned on you that God requires you to do certain things with your money?
In my experience, when people think about their finances they think about how much they need and they think about how to get more of it. Now that’s not all entirely bad. There’s nothing wrong with wondering how to make more money or how to spend it wisely, but today the Holy Spirit wants us to concentrate on what God wants for us to do with our money. Then, if I’m obedient to God what can I expect. Well, if we are obedient to God we will collect on his promises if we are not obedient to God then we will not obtain the blessing.
Let’s begin today’s lesson by reading a short message from Proverbs chapter 3. The Holy Spirit wants us to concentrate on verses five through 10. I have included them here below for your convenience!
Proverbs 3:5-10. (New International Version).
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil. (If we do that it will..)
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
According to verse “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own. I don’t really have best understanding of God‘s word”. There’s many times that that versus come up. But salvation is so simple.
“ In all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight” The hardest thing for me to submit to him was my purse. Giving God control over my money was very hard. Money makes the world go around. And it’s difficult to trust someone else with it. -But we can trust salvation and what happens to us in eternity: so, it doesn’t make sense that we can’t trust him with our purse too.
Accord verse “7: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” (If we do that it will..) If you do the right thing you will be rewarded. For example, I was in Walmart yesterday! And my buggy was plummet full. There was no room for anything else. And in fact, things on top of the biggie was fallen out off the cart. -and there was no checkouts open! And there were no registers with conveyor belts opened! Therefore, I had to use the smaller one. Where do you put all of your groceries that you’re were being bagged up? Well, you set them aside! You place them on the floor around the kiosk and in your buggy. So, I’m down to miss something! And I did! I forgot to do the soda pop on the bottom of my cart. My total was 300 and some dollars. And so I had to go back in, and tell them I forgot to ring up my soda. They were asking why I came back in to doing this? Which open the opportunity to tell them about Christ! -So that’s why I think God allowed that scenario to happen.
Now let’s discuss verse 8! Verse 8 states the following “This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
Well in my example here it did. Because I felt better. That devil didn’t get to eat at me all day long. Well you stole something. God doesn’t love you anymore. There’s a big rift in the relationship. And he will go on and on and on. So my well-being was better. Mental health is an issue!
Pro verbs chapter 3 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine. Verses nine and 10 tell us that our needs will be met.
What an awesome promise from God! so, what I glean from this passage is that I should not be worried about wealth.
In order for me to believe his word I must believe that God is telling the truth. Yes! God always tells us the truth. God always wants the best for his children. Therefore, he is not going to challenge us to do anything that will bring us harm. He does all things to bring us good.
So, according to the book of Psalm we found a very basic teaching about our finances. Check out the 50th psalm. Again, I have included it here for your convenience!
Psalm 50:10-12
THE INWARD LIFE OF A STEWARD
Understanding Ownership
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.”
So, once we realize this: that God owns everything, our finances fall into order. Everything belongs to God, because God created it all and he is in control of all of it. Therefore, what we have; we are just using it, because God allowed us to possess it, manage yet, and he’s good stewards of it, but God owns it. You see, there are a lot of people who believe it is their money and they own it! however, We are the caretakers of God‘s substance. Henceforth, what we have already belongs to God.
The problem is, we think we earned it; therefore, we owned it. However, we must first realize that this is God’s world and we wouldn’t have the job unless God ordained it. This brings us to the word tithe. Should we tithe or should we not tithe? The question comes up because it’s believed to be an Old Testament idea?
Now, I would like for you to go to the old testament and find the book of Malachi and locate chapter 3.. Many of you’ve heard this happily and some of you have heard it unhappily, but the Holy Spirit wants us to revisit it now. I have included it for your convenience below:
Malachi 3:8-12
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse-your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
The Lord is telling the people that he is the source of everything; therefore, it is our reasonable service to give back 10%. yeah, he even gives us three reasons why the 10% is needed. First, the 10% is needed to pay for the work of the Lord! then, secondly, the money is needed to provide for the needs of others. Thirdly, God wants to prove to his faithfulness. God says that when we give he will give back! God even says that when we give it he gives more back in an abundance.
Now, about now, in this sermon, the devil has already instructed you that Jesus has come, that Jesus has Risen, and therefore; you do not have to pay that 10%. Oh really! If you follow the example of Jesus Christ then you should be giving back 100%, because Jesus gave it all. One tenth is the bare minimum we should be giving to the church. Because God has given us three reasons. One because the church has needs, Two because we have to help others, and three to test God. Therefore, we give our 10% because we want the gospel to get out to the community, we want to help our neighbors, and we want to let God reveal himself.
I know that we work hard! Some of us work 40 and 50 hours to make it. And some of us have a little of it. However, we wouldn’t have the job, in order to meet our needs, if I did not order. If God did not supply us with a job we would not even be able to provide for ourselves and our families. it isn’t that God needs us. It isn’t the fact that God wants our money, but it is the fact that God blessed me; so that I can bless others!
God not only wants us to give our tithe and our offering, but he wants us to be cheerful givers too. Consider the following verses of scripture:
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (New International Version)
Generosity Encouraged
“6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
This scripture makes it very simple! I either believe God or I don’t believe. I either want to give God control of my life and my pocketbook or I don’t! Watch this! So, if I’m sow bountifully I’m going to reap is the promise of God. What that looks like in my life is that for the past two years I have been paying my tithes and bringing my offerings to the store house and my needs have always been met. God has always made a Way. I only have all my needs have been met, and a lot of my wants have been granted too.
God does not put pressure on people to give and we shouldn’t put pressure on people to give, but God says here is an opportunity to give. God has instituted the church. Gods has instituted pastors, preachers, teachers, workers, and churches; therefor, bring your tithes and offerings to the store house. The store house is the local church. Do so willingly and cheerfully, because God gave you yet in order to bless others.
God wants us to know that he will provide for our needs. God desires a relationship with us a storm faith. Giving to him and offering allows him to prove his self; which increases our faith in him. So, if you have 10 dimes we are to give the Lord just one of them. Now, The Holy Spirit told me that someone leaking much with today’s prices, but we know that the Lord and take something small and do something great with it consider the story, which appears only in Mark and Matthew, is also known as the miracle of the five loaves of bread and two small fishes, as the Gospel of Matthew refers to five loaves and a few small fish used by Jesus to feed a multitude. According to the Gospels, a large crowd had gathered and was following Jesus.
So you see, when we obey God he will multiply it! So, we don’t have to wonder yes giving our 10% will work or not, because we have little girl examples and we have personal examples. , He will never come up short and we will never come up needy. why? Because he is the god of grace, of love, and a mercy. We can one Him! Do you believe that he is the god of peace, love, and Joy If you can answer yes to that;then, why can you not give him 10%? Are your views structured so that everything goes out that you get paid? I believe that someone could be in that circumstance. Sometimes, we are not good stewards what God has given us and we can trap ourselves. We become a slave to the ones that we owe a debt to. However, God answers prayers and mighty wipes. The canyon and we’ll help out of that, that you have to be obedient to him. Believe me, it is hard to perm your skin. The Holy Spirit told me instead of going shopping perhaps I should study the word! Ouch! but it worked for me! Perhaps, some of us may need to give up our favorite sports channels to lower the cable bill. perhaps, I will need to do is call her cell phone company. Just I ask God! He will give you the answer!
Think about it! All God is asking is for us to set aside one tenth! That is one dime for every ten dimes. That is also one penny for every 10 pennies. God is a God of his word and when I think about the simplicity of that promise The Holy Spirit brings me to almost the end of the old testament. I think it’s the third to the last book in the Old Testament. The book of Haggai. Below I have included it for you:
Haggai 1:5-6
King James Version
“5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”
So, did you receive your warning this morning, this afternoon, or this evening whenever you might be reading this writing? No matter what you do it’s not going to work!- that is how I would some of this awesome passage of scripture. there is no answer to Gill except for to make it right. Just like in my previous example, at Walmart! We are to the Sanctified and we are to be and possess a clean conscience. if we do not have gone his 10% cording to his word we do not have a clean conscience, Because we are robbing God. No, this is not my opinion, because this is written in Malachi chapter 3. God says, that we are his caretakers and his managers of what he has created, because he allows us privilege to enjoy it.
James 1:7 says: God is the giver of every good and perfect gift; therefore our money is also covered under the umbrella of gifts. God is the giver of anything that is good. There is more good than most people realize. Everything that we have is a gift from God, undeserved. After salvation and adoption, every gift from God is a bonus.
let’s test that idea by answering the following questions:
who gave you your car? -God
Who gave you your house? -God
Who gave you your children? -God
Who gave you life? -God
Who gave you your money? -God
Giving to God is not us being: kind, generous, or thoughtful, but it is showing that we are obedient to God.
The Holy Spirit told me that tithing was an opportunity to obey God and watch him work! God is always in the heart of people who obey him. God loves you, but he is not going to force himself upon you. God gives people many wonderful gifts and talents especially when it comes to business, but what are they doing with that money? Are they blowing through it? Are they stingy with it? Are their spiritual eyes opened when spending it? In a blink of an eye it could all be gone. Sometimes, when it comes to our purse or to our wallets we want to hold onto it! As Haggai pointed out some wallets have holes in them.
People spend their whole life making more, doing more, and spending more, but they lose sight of what’s important in life. Winning lost souls to Christ should be you’re number one goal. We should not want to see anyone go to hell. It’s sad, that people who have become multi millionaires; they go to bed with all her riches, but they wake up to face judgment. It’s even sad, to live a Christian life, one which is known of good Christian character, but at the funeral, people murmur that they robbed God while they were alive. I want people, to remember that I was sold out to God, that I did everything Christ asked of me, and that I will see them again in heaven.
Would you say you are a good caretaker of what God has given you or would you say that you are robbing God? ( These are the scriptures that you should underline and highlight in your Bible!)
#1. First Chronicles 29:12 ‘12 bBoth riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. cIn your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
– in the scripture, we find that this is gods motivation for us to tithe. God is the creator of everything and everything belongs to God. Therefore, we are just borrowers of what God has given us. If you have this
#2. Malachi 3:10 — English Standard Version (ESV) ‘10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. –
-This is gods motivation for us to tithe. Why? – Love!
#3. Proverbs 3:10 — New Living Translation (NLT) “10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”-
– this is God‘s promise to us if we tithe and bring offerings to the store house. In the old testament people were concerned with their basic needs of food and raiment. Today, we are concentrated about making more; so, that we can have more. We’re concentrated on achieving more; to get more world fame. We want to succeed and we want to be popular. In this Scripture, this was God‘s stamp or guarantee that if they tithe and gave their offerings that he would provide for them.
#4. Malachi 3:11 — The New International Version (NIV) ‘11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LordAlmighty.’ –
-God promises to protect us. Read and listen to the scripture. Remember this is the agriculture life that they lived in, but what about today? God says that he is going to protect what we do have. He’ll even protect the decisions that you make. For example, are you getting ready to buy a car? Or are you thinking about buying a truck? Well, if it’s the right time for you he will provide that house, but if it is not the right time for you he will not allow the loan to go through. Sometimes, God will give you just a little bit of reservation. He’ll give you a little bit of time to think about it. God wants you to have things, but if we’re in debt up to our ears; then, we’re not happy and we can’t enjoy things.
#5. Luke 6:38 New International Version
‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
-This is just so simple! If I’ve given God one dollar out of my $10; I’m going to be blessed. Oh I have watched Tadin work! Not just in my life, but in the lives of many people. We forget or we’re not willing to except who God is. Perhaps, we just can’t wrap our head around how big our God is, how great our God is, or Just how generous God is? God always gives us more than we deserve, more than we ask for, and it gives us in an abundance.
listen to what God said in second Corinthians chapter 9.
#6. 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 New International Version “6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly (give a little) will also reap sparingly (little), and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (Gives much) 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
– This scripture tells us that if we are faithful with our giving and we obey God in our giving; that he promises that our needs will be met. In this message, I have just been quoting scripture to you. We believe that all scripture is true; therefore, I ask you to obey God. Then, we can sit back and watch what God can do. We will grow in the strength, and will grow in our faith. We can’t out give God!
