Speaker 1: Well, I encourage you to take some notes, always do.
Speaker 1: Uh, I believe that it will help you.
Speaker 1: I believe it will help you today.
Speaker 1: As we talk about sacred spaces, sacred spaces, our third lesson, uh, and, and my encouragement is write things down.
Speaker 1: Some when we write it down and we take notes through a sermon or a lesson, what we find is that it helps us to go back to those things and remember stuff, but it also does something else.
Speaker 1: And, and, um, I really encourage you in this today.
Speaker 1: As you hear something, if you're questioning well, I don't know if this is, uh, exactly what I think about this or how I think about this.
Speaker 1: Then my encouragement is that you take the note right then and there that you say, okay, I have a question about this.
Speaker 1: The scripture tells us about the Berean church that they would hear Paul speak, and then they would take what he said, go back to the scripture and search the scripture every day and determine if what Paul said was accurate or not.
Speaker 1: It's not that they didn't believe Paul it's just that they needed to solidify what he was saying within the scripture.
Speaker 1: And so I encourage you if Paul wasn't too good of a speaker to have himself fact checked with the scripture, then neither am I.
Speaker 1: Can we say, Hey man, actually I figured the sound booth would say amen to that.
Speaker 1: That's where my wife is sitting right now.
Speaker 1: I figured I'd hear arousing a man.
Speaker 1: And so I encourage you.
Speaker 1: If you maybe have a question about something that's being taught, just write it down, take a note.
Speaker 1: And if you're on your phone, I'm just going to assume it's not angry birds it's notes.
Speaker 1: So we're talking about sacred spaces and the word sacred can be applied to almost anything, anything at all, it simply means set apart.
Speaker 1: Something that is set apart is something that is untouchable.
Speaker 1: Something that it's unmovable, something that is special.
Speaker 1: It's unique in its own way.
Speaker 1: It has a certain level of importance that goes beyond just everyday things.
Speaker 1: And today we don't talk about it a lot because not a lot of things now are considered sacred.
Speaker 1: In fact, we kind of specialize in our current cultural climate of tipping over the sacred cows.
Speaker 1: If something is sacred, let's knock it down.
Speaker 1: If something is special, let's get it out.
Speaker 1: If something is unique and, and untouchable, well really why should it be untouchable at all?
Speaker 1: The reason why these things are the sacred things.
Speaker 1: The things that we're calling sacred is because these are the things that God says are sacred.
Speaker 1: And in his word, he says these things, I'm calling them sacred and we should consider making them sacred, untouchable, special, unique in our own life.
Speaker 1: And here's the reality about God, the things that God calls sacred apply to everyone.
Speaker 1: So it doesn't matter what culture you come from.
Speaker 1: It doesn't matter what time period you may have been born into.
Speaker 1: The fact is if God has called it sacred, it remains sacred.
Speaker 1: It is always sacred unless he says that's no longer sacred to me.
Speaker 1: And he removes that label from it.
Speaker 1: It remains sacred to him.
Speaker 1: Now we started off the series by saying that you are sacred.
Speaker 1: Your life is sacred to God.
Speaker 1: And I encourage you.
Speaker 1: If you haven't been able to be with us through the series, then there's, there is some foundational principles that have been laid down.
Speaker 1: And so I encourage you to go back to the podcast or on YouTube and hear the entire series because we started with you are sacred.
Speaker 1: And then last week we talked about the fact that time is sacred.
Speaker 1: God says, time is sacred to me.
Speaker 1: And so I care about how you use your time, how you, uh, delineate your time within your day, within your year, et cetera.
Speaker 1: I care about that.
Speaker 1: And we must prioritize time with Jesus and mind.
Speaker 1: And today's subject is sacred resources, sacred resources.
Speaker 1: The big idea today, if you're taking notes is your, your resources are sacred to God.
Speaker 1: Your resources are sacred to God and I've three declarations for us.
Speaker 1: And that's going to make some of you very happy because I've only had two things in the last two weeks.
Speaker 1: And it's really bothered.
Speaker 1: Some of you we're back to three.
Speaker 1: And so you can, you can be excited about that.
Speaker 1: Declaration.
Speaker 1: Number one is this my work ethic and attitude revealed Christ in my life.
Speaker 1: My work ethic and attitude revealed Christ in my life.
Speaker 1: Last week.
Speaker 1: We said that that there's a sacred element to your work, whatever works you may do as a sacred element to that.
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 1: Well, work is hard.
Speaker 1: We gather resources for life.
Speaker 1: Most of us didn't get up last Monday morning and say, you know what?
Speaker 1: I've got nothing better to do in my life.
Speaker 1: I'm going to go to work.
Speaker 1: And if that had happened, you'd have shown up to an office or to wherever it was that you showed up to work.
Speaker 1: And they would have said, who are you?
Speaker 1: And why are you here?
Speaker 1: And if you said, well, I just want to work.
Speaker 1: That has said go away because we don't typically say, I just love work so much.
Speaker 1: I'm just going to go do this work.
Speaker 1: Regardless.
Speaker 1: We say, I'm going to do this work in order to gain resources for my life.
Speaker 1: I'm going to trade my time for a paycheck.
Speaker 1: I'm going to trade time for resource.
Speaker 1: Now we said last week that God cares about time and the studying the sermon.
Speaker 1: I discovered that statistically, there are two things that dominate your time.
Speaker 1: The first is sleep.
Speaker 1: I know most of us think we don't get enough of it.
Speaker 1: And maybe we don't, but sleep is the first thing that dominates our time.
Speaker 1: The second thing work, work, dominate it's our time.
Speaker 1: So it makes sense that if God, about our time, and he says that our time is his, then he would care about how we spend our time.
Speaker 1: He would care about how we spend the resource that he's given us.
Speaker 1: And this thing called time.
Speaker 1: He care about how we, we used it to gain resource and he'd care about what we were doing within that context.
Speaker 1: And so what does the Bible say about work Ecclesiastes?
Speaker 1: Chapter nine, verse 10 is a great scripture for us.
Speaker 1: It says whatever your hands find to do, do it with your mind in the context.
Speaker 1: And then some translations, you'll see it say all your might or with the totality of what you have.
Speaker 1: So if you're going to do a thing, do it with everything you have within you, does that resemble your work in the office?
Speaker 2: I'm just asking.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 1: Colossians chapter three is another great passage for us.
Speaker 1: It says work willingly at whatever you do.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 1: As though you were working for the Lord, rather than for people That I knew, I wasn't getting a lot of amens in this section.
Speaker 1: The, uh, remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the master you are serving is Christ.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Denise.
Speaker 1: You're serving Christ.
Speaker 1: You're not serving your employer.
Speaker 1: You're not serving the customer.
Speaker 1: You are serving Christ.
Speaker 1: Ultimately.
Speaker 1: Now, how, if you read these passages, what you discover is what you do is not sacred.
Speaker 1: You can do all most in the thing in this world that becomes your choice.
Speaker 1: Now legal is good.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 1: Just, just being clear on that.
Speaker 1: Legal is good.
Speaker 1: You don't leave here saying pastor Mike said, I can do whatever I want to do.
Speaker 1: No,
Speaker 2: You get it.
Speaker 2: So
Speaker 1: Work the, the w the, what you do, isn't as important as how you do it.
Speaker 1: The, how is sacred, the what is not.
Speaker 1: So how you serve others, how you treat your employer, how you treat your employees, all reflect Christ in your life.
Speaker 1: I have not always had jobs that I really loved.
Speaker 1: One of them was in Hawaii.
Speaker 1: We, I shoveled rock hurrah.
Speaker 1: Hawaii is rock.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 1: It's a volcanic Island.
Speaker 1: And so when you shovel in Hawaii, you're shoveling rock.
Speaker 1: And we lived up in Waikoloa, which is way up on the mountain.
Speaker 1: And I'd go every day to, to this job site.
Speaker 1: And I could see it on the road down.
Speaker 1: I could see way down by the ocean.
Speaker 1: We were building a resort community.
Speaker 1: Let me just say this, living a resort community, or, or a vacationing in a resort community is very different from building a resort community.
Speaker 1: And so I would drive down this, this road and I could see the resort community down there.
Speaker 1: And I would be so frustrated because I did not want to do that.
Speaker 1: I w I was there to build the church and I was building a church when I wasn't working, but we had to put food on the table somehow.
Speaker 1: And the church couldn't do that at that time.
Speaker 1: So, so I was working and there were days when I would have tears streaming down my face.
Speaker 1: I know it's not manly.
Speaker 1: And I know it's not goal, but it's true.
Speaker 1: I would have tears streaming down my face saying, God, this is not what I'm called to do.
Speaker 1: This is what I have to do, because, uh, because, uh, well, Christie wants to eat and the boys are selfish and they want to eat too.
Speaker 1: And, and well, I kind of liked to eat myself.
Speaker 1: And so with all of that being true, I've got to go to work and get this and be able to earn some money.
Speaker 1: And I was just, I was frustrated by it.
Speaker 1: And, but I go down there and then the boss would say, I want you to move this pile of rocks with that shovel over there.
Speaker 1: And so I would start shoveling.
Speaker 1: And then sometimes he'd come back and say, and I want to take those rocks and move them back over here.
Speaker 1: And I would say,
Speaker 2: Love you with the love of the Lord, but what sometimes is what the,
Speaker 1: The scripture is teaching us.
Speaker 1: He says, good work equals good earthly reward, but a good attitude and a good effort equals good heavenly reward.
Speaker 1: And sometimes we think, well, if the customer treats me good, and my employer treats me good.
Speaker 1: And if my employees treat me good, then I'll treat them good.
Speaker 1: But that's not what he's saying.
Speaker 1: He say, you treat them good regardless of how they treat you, because you're reflecting me to them.
Speaker 1: You're working for me.
Speaker 1: So however you treat them, that's how you're treating me.
Speaker 1: You say, well, that's a little bit, none, no read the scripture.
Speaker 1: That's what he just told us.
Speaker 2: However, you act to them
Speaker 1: Is representing me.
Speaker 1: Why does he care?
Speaker 1: He cares because he's our provider.
Speaker 1: Our, our employer may be the methodology he's using to, to bless us and benefit us.
Speaker 1: But he is the provider.
Speaker 1: Ultimately he is our father.
Speaker 1: He is the one who, uh, who we represent.
Speaker 1: In fact, he said, go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Speaker 1: Every creature.
Speaker 1: He said, when the Holy spirit comes upon you, you're going to be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea.
Speaker 1: He doesn't say, except that work Not when he says, you're my witnesses.
Speaker 1: He is our promoter Proverbs chapter 22, verse 29 says that competent workers stand before Kings.
Speaker 1: He gives opportunity for competent workers to be elevated and to be lifted up.
Speaker 1: And they stand before people who can make big decisions and be able to move their careers forward and greater blessings
Speaker 2: Flow.
Speaker 2: He's
Speaker 1: The focus.
Speaker 1: So if I, if I'm at a job, remember what I do.
Speaker 1: Isn't as important as how I do it.
Speaker 1: So if Adam I'm at a job and I don't like it, then I have the Liberty and the freedom to leave that job and go somewhere else that I feel more connected that I liked the environment better, whatever it may be, but how I do the work, where I am, as long as I'm there.
Speaker 1: My God, my God given duty is to do it with all of my
Speaker 2: Mind.
Speaker 1: And there are great rewards that come from it.
Speaker 1: I will tell you that, that to me, I drove down that Hill for a long time.
Speaker 1: And I looked at that community for a long time.
Speaker 1: And I was frustrated for a long time, but I'll never forget the day that Rodney and his wife come walking in the church, see Rodney was my boss's boss.
Speaker 1: And he came walking into
Speaker 2: The church and then Clifford
Speaker 1: Came walking into the church just a little while later.
Speaker 1: Clifford was my immediate supervisor.
Speaker 1: Well, actually he was my boss's boss too.
Speaker 1: And suddenly they start coming to church and, and guys from the construction crews started coming to church and, and they started becoming part of the family of God at, at legacy.
Speaker 1: And I got to baptize every one of them.
Speaker 1: And I got to celebrate Jesus and got to celebrate them, taking their next steps of life in Christ together.
Speaker 1: And it was a beautiful, beautiful thing, but here's, here's what touched me so much.
Speaker 1: The fact that they showed up to the church.
Speaker 1: Oh, that was awesome.
Speaker 1: I can't, I can't deny that, but the fact that they saw Micah Sutton when he was sweaty, whenever he hurt himself, when he passed out a bunch of times because of the heat.
Speaker 1: Whenever, whenever I wasn't, when I wasn't at my best, when I was frustrated, when I was angry, they saw me in all of those places.
Speaker 1: But somehow they looked at Micah and said, the character that this guy shows on the work site allows me to go to church and hear him teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: And can I tell you that in your life, your work may be your greatest area of ministry.
Speaker 1: Some of you spend more time at work than you do with your own family.
Speaker 1: And you have an opportunity to show forth Christ or show forth.
Speaker 1: You, you can be a witness for Christ.
Speaker 1: And we have business people in this church all over the place who, who are witnesses for Christ in the place that they work.
Speaker 1: It is a God given
Speaker 2: Calling.
Speaker 2: And I encourage you.
Speaker 1: Remember that your work ethic and your work attitude, reveal Christ in your life, it will testify to somebody of who Christ is to you.
Speaker 2: And that brings us to the declaration.
Speaker 2: Number two,
Speaker 1: Then I will steward God's resources, according to his plan, according to his plan.
Speaker 1: Now, all the resources, everybody say all, all the reads that wasn't all by the way that wasn't all of you that said all, but all the resources that God has offered my life, they all belong to
Speaker 2: Him.
Speaker 2: They all belong to him.
Speaker 2: And we've read this particular verse every week.
Speaker 2: The last two.
Speaker 1: So we've been in this series, we've read this verse here it is.
Speaker 1: First Corinthians chapter two, chapter six, rather verse 19.
Speaker 1: It says, don't you realize that your body is the temple
Speaker 2: Spirit, praise the Lord for that.
Speaker 2: Okay?
Speaker 1: Who lives in you and was given to you by God, amen to that.
Speaker 1: You do not belong to yourself.
Speaker 1: Well, hold on
Speaker 2: Here.
Speaker 1: But he says, you do not belong to yourself for you, for God, bought you with a high priced, amen to that.
Speaker 1: So you must honor God with your body.
Speaker 1: Oh boy.
Speaker 1: See, he puts the reality that we are not our own within the context of what he's done for us.
Speaker 1: And we celebrate that.
Speaker 1: But can I say it this way?
Speaker 1: We cannot authentically believe that we are his and then act like what we gave
Speaker 2: Is ours.
Speaker 2: We can't
Speaker 1: Authentically believe that we are his and then act like what we gave
Speaker 2: Is ours.
Speaker 2: We want to,
Speaker 1: It's not an authentic belief that we are actually 100%, his first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 26, just in case we were confused about all of this.
Speaker 1: It says the earth is the Lord's and everything in it.
Speaker 1: That means that there is nothing in this earth that does not belong to God.
Speaker 1: So there is nothing in this earth, categorically that can literally become mine.
Speaker 1: Without the context of God being involved.
Speaker 1: God puts our resources in the category
Speaker 2: Of things that belong to him.
Speaker 1: And in the law of Moses, in the book of Leviticus, he does something even to another level and let's read it together.
Speaker 1: Leviticus chapter 27, verse 30 says, and all the ties of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the Lords.
Speaker 1: It is Holy to the Lord.
Speaker 1: Could also be said
Speaker 2: This sacred to the Lord.
Speaker 2: Now
Speaker 1: Just talking about fruit of trees and seed of the ground.
Speaker 1: But if you, if you look at the agrarian culture that these folks were in and that he was writing to, this is the same thing as talking about your paycheck and mine.
Speaker 1: This is the increase that they have in their life.
Speaker 1: Now, if you're a guest with us today, I recognize that this may be a tough sermon to be the new person at the church and just walk in on, but I promise you it's going to get better.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 2: It's going to be all right.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 1: But let's, we are understanding the context of what we're talking about here.
Speaker 1: 100% of our assets belong to God, but God,
Speaker 2: Part of those assets,
Speaker 1: Holy or sacred to him, that's the, what?
Speaker 1: Leviticus 27 calls all the time.
Speaker 1: Now tithing is giving 10% of your increase to God, 10% of your increase.
Speaker 1: Now it's not giving 10% of everything you have.
Speaker 1: It's 10% of your increase going to God.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 1: A tithe is a 10th.
Speaker 1: The word tied literally means a 10th.
Speaker 1: So if you're giving a fifth, if you're giving a ninth, if you're giving a one, if you're giving a 500th, okay, it is it a Thai remains a 10th.
Speaker 1: So sometimes people say, well, I'm going to give my ties today.
Speaker 1: And here's$10.
Speaker 1: Well, if that, if that$10, and I'm not knocking that, understand my heart here, if that tie this actually a, a 10th of your income, then, um, and you're trying to support a family and so on and so forth, and we need to pray for you.
Speaker 1: And we need to help find you a better job, because that, if a, if that is literally a tide, now it's a great offering and we're gracious and it's generosity.
Speaker 1: And it's all of those things, but it isn't a tie.
Speaker 1: A tie literally means a 10th.
Speaker 1: And so God, wasn't complacent about this.
Speaker 1: He said, if you, if you don't tie, then to me, give me 10% of what you have your increase.
Speaker 1: Then you will be punished for that.
Speaker 1: That's what the law said.
Speaker 1: Now, this is the tie.
Speaker 1: That's God commanded it, but it is not where the tie began.
Speaker 1: The ties began back with Abraham.
Speaker 1: Abraham gave 10% of all.
Speaker 1: He had to God, then his sons followed the patriarchs.
Speaker 1: And those scripture followed that example of Abraham.
Speaker 1: But when it came to the law of Moses, Moses is writing under the inspiration of the Holy spirit.
Speaker 1: God's giving him the law and he's writing it for the people.
Speaker 1: And God at that point says, if you don't tie, there's a curse involved in that.
Speaker 1: So now there's a penalty for not tithing.
Speaker 1: So sometimes people say, well, wait a minute is tithing.
Speaker 1: Then an old Testament concept.
Speaker 1: And thank God we're under the new covenant.
Speaker 1: And so we're under the new covenant.
Speaker 1: We don't have to worry about the old covenant.
Speaker 1: And I'm just going back to my roots for a minute.
Speaker 1: All right.
Speaker 3: And while
Speaker 1: It is true, it's an old Testament concept and old Testament beginning doesn't disqualify a new Testament application.
Speaker 1: For instance, it was in the old Testament that we learned that murder is wrong.
Speaker 1: It's in the old Testament that we find out that theft is wrong.
Speaker 1: That adultery is wrong.
Speaker 1: These are all old Testament concepts.
Speaker 1: We find out that respecting others is right.
Speaker 1: We find out that helping the poor and the orphan is right.
Speaker 1: All of these things are old Testament concepts, but we wouldn't say that they aren't applicable in our world today.
Speaker 1: In fact, we would say all of those things are still wrong.
Speaker 1: And all of those things are still right.
Speaker 1: They began as old Testament ideas.
Speaker 1: So tithing is a faith concept.
Speaker 1: And here's what Jesus said about it.
Speaker 1: Jesus, uh, you can't really argue with Jesus Matthew 23.
Speaker 1: He said, you are careful.
Speaker 1: Now he's talking to people who are very particular about the law and they use it for their own gain and for their own good.
Speaker 1: But he said, you're careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspect aspects of the law, justice, mercy, and faith.
Speaker 1: So Jesus is saying that justice, mercy and faith
Speaker 2: Are more important.
Speaker 2: No argument.
Speaker 2: Yeah,
Speaker 1: But he doesn't stop talking
Speaker 2: There.
Speaker 2: And a
Speaker 1: Lot of people stop right there and say, see, that's more important.
Speaker 2: It is.
Speaker 1: Then he says, you should tie.
Speaker 2: See, he didn't
Speaker 1: A period there.
Speaker 1: Well, there is actually a period there, but he continued the conversation you should tie.
Speaker 1: Yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
Speaker 1: So he said, yes, these things are more
Speaker 2: Important, but tithing
Speaker 1: Is something that you should continue to do.
Speaker 1: It's a beginner step.
Speaker 1: I know when I got my very first job, first thing I did was give 10% of that to the kingdom of God.
Speaker 1: I do the same thing today.
Speaker 1: 10% of our income goes to the kingdom of God.
Speaker 1: Bottom line.
Speaker 1: There's no argument.
Speaker 1: I started it.
Speaker 1: Then if you're a young person here today, start now.
Speaker 1: And as you grow into it and your salary increases, your title will increasing.
Speaker 1: God will bless you.
Speaker 1: That is what he says.
Speaker 1: Now let's continue in the series.
Speaker 1: So tithing is basic biblical stewardship.
Speaker 1: It's the same as say that we S we must spend less.
Speaker 1: We must spend less than we earn.
Speaker 1: You always want to earn more than you spend.
Speaker 1: That's your, that's just as simple as that.
Speaker 1: It's a basic biblical context, but the tide is the sacred part that God calls out and said, that belongs to me.
Speaker 1: And so that's our focus today.
Speaker 1: So what is the purpose of tithing what's tithing supposed to do to two things?
Speaker 1: First is tithing is a financial covenant with God.
Speaker 1: It's a financial covenant with God, Deuteronomy chapter 14 and verse number 15 says, if you tithe faithfully live generously, then I will bless.
Speaker 1: You greatly read it for yourself.
Speaker 1: That is what he says.
Speaker 1: That's what I will do.
Speaker 1: If you will do this, then I will do that.
Speaker 1: The tie also, number two, supports the place and the people that lead spiritually.
Speaker 1: That's what he, that's what he's called us to do.
Speaker 1: And that's what the does.
Speaker 1: So in numbers, chapter 18, it says the tie, the priests, they, the priest, the, uh, the children of Lee bye did not have an inheritance of land.
Speaker 1: So they didn't have the increase of the, the, the, uh, fruit of the trees and the seed of the ground and so on and so forth, which would be the earning capacity of the other tribes.
Speaker 1: And so he said, this is how they are going to be supported.
Speaker 1: And the temple of God will be[inaudible].
Speaker 1: And the priests also gave tides from what they received.
Speaker 1: Now, you might say again, that's an old Testament concept.
Speaker 1: Well, let's take it into the new Testament.
Speaker 1: First Corinthians chapter nine, verse number 14, the Lord ordered that those who preach the good news should be supported by those who benefit from it.
Speaker 1: So this is a reciprocal relationship that there is a, that there are those who are called to preach the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they should be supported or what they do and how they do it.
Speaker 1: Now, I want to be very clear on this here in this church, you might say, well, this is a very self-serving sermon that you're giving right now.
Speaker 1: Not really because here's the thing.
Speaker 1: We have a administrative team.
Speaker 1: We have a great elder team in this church.
Speaker 1: I am, there's no one person that manages the money of this church.
Speaker 1: And I do not set my salary and our salaries go through the administrative team entirely and there.
Speaker 1: And we have a very, very strong policy in this church on how that gets all gets done.
Speaker 1: So if we built the largest church in the history of the world, I may not make one more dime than I do right now.
Speaker 1: This is not a self-serving situation at all.
Speaker 1: This is a biblical teaching on a sacred thing that God calls his praise, the Lord.
Speaker 1: And the whole idea is that the yes, would move forward, move forward.
Speaker 1: So what, how does it work?
Speaker 1: God blesses his people.
Speaker 1: And as he blesses them, the increase that they bring in rises as the increase that they bring in rises, their tide rises.
Speaker 1: Now, sometimes people do fine when they start off.
Speaker 1: Initially, they're like, okay.
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 1: You know, I'm making X amount of dollars and I'm, and I'm giving.
Speaker 1: And usually we're giving because we're like, Lord, you don't make this work.
Speaker 1: Then I'm never going to make it Lord.
Speaker 1: And I can't pay this month's bills.
Speaker 1: So I'm going to be faithful to you, and you've gotta be faithful to me.
Speaker 1: And that's his promise.
Speaker 1: And I thank the Lord for it.
Speaker 1: I've been in that place.
Speaker 1: But as we, as he increases our life, our income grows, our tide starts growing.
Speaker 1: Sometimes, sometimes that success, it becomes kind of like, well, you know, that's, that's a lot of money to be giving to the church or to be given to something like that.
Speaker 1: And so, and so I I'm thinking that maybe I need to do something different.
Speaker 1: And it kind of reminds me of the old story of the young man who comes to the pastor.
Speaker 1: And he, he says, Hey, pastor, you know, I'm starting a new business and this is going to be great.
Speaker 1: And I just, you to pray for me, I really want to help support the kingdom of God and do good things.
Speaker 1: And so the pastor says, Hey, I'm going to pray for you.
Speaker 1: And I believe that you're going to do great.
Speaker 1: And, and I'm just encouraged to keep tithing and let God bless you.
Speaker 1: And he said, okay.
Speaker 1: And so he did.
Speaker 1: And he started strong and his business grew.
Speaker 1: And pretty soon he was, his tithe was as much as he had given as he had made in the early years of starting this business.
Speaker 1: And finally he looked at it one day and he went, you know, that's, that's just a lot to go to the church.
Speaker 1: And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to kind of start doing something a little different.
Speaker 1: So he went back to the pastor and he said, Hey, here's, what's going on.
Speaker 1: You know, I give, I'm just going to not be able to give that way anymore, because this is what's going on.
Speaker 1: And, and so I'm just thinking that this is, this is how I'm going to allocate that.
Speaker 1: And the pastor said, okay, yes, I understand what you're saying.
Speaker 1: Let's, let's pray about this.
Speaker 1: And so they, they got together and the pastor prayed, Lord, I pray that you reduce this man's income to the place where he feels confident, tithing again.
Speaker 1: Whoa, Whoa, wait a minute.
Speaker 1: I'm not sure that we want to go there.
Speaker 1: See, here's the thing about tithing large and small.
Speaker 1: It always takes faith.
Speaker 1: And when you tied from a small amount, it's a small amount.
Speaker 1: And then we give faithfully.
Speaker 1: And as we prosper, the tide grows and sometimes it becomes more difficult.
Speaker 1: And we start looking at the time more like we look at taxes, how, how much can I get by with, and still be legal
Speaker 4: Or
Speaker 1: Generous contributions to other kinds of charity, how this is how I'm going to break this up and do this thing versus looking at it as something that is sacred to God.
Speaker 1: Now, I believe in financial management and I believe in CPAs and I believe in money managers.
Speaker 1: And, and if you have those people that you're working with and we do as well.
Speaker 1: And, and I just encourage you to listen to their wisdom and understand what they're doing, but here is the reality in my life and Christie's life.
Speaker 1: The fact is we manage 90%.
Speaker 1: We manage 90%, 10% is sacred to
Speaker 4: God.
Speaker 1: God sees the increase in our life as one big hole.
Speaker 1: He doesn't see different pieces in different parts.
Speaker 1: He blessed us in whole.
Speaker 1: And that brings us to one of the most misused and famous tithing passages in all the scripture.
Speaker 1: And that's Malakai chapter three, verse 10.
Speaker 1: And some of you are right now thinking I knew that was gonna Malakai three 10 says, bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be enough room food in my temple.
Speaker 1: If you do says the Lord of heaven's armies, I will open up the heavens a windows of heaven for you.
Speaker 1: I'll pour out a blessing.
Speaker 1: So great.
Speaker 1: You won't have room enough to take it in.
Speaker 1: Try it, put me to the test.
Speaker 1: The first thing I would encourage you to notice is it says, bring,
Speaker 2: Bring
Speaker 1: Theirs.
Speaker 1: They're supposed to be in the context of tithing.
Speaker 1: It's a reciprocal relationship.
Speaker 1: It's, it's, you're tithing to something with that.
Speaker 1: You have actual relationship with you.
Speaker 1: You're there.
Speaker 1: You see,
Speaker 2: You know, and they know they see you.
Speaker 2: There's a mutual accountability involved.
Speaker 2: You're not
Speaker 1: Sending it to somebody who you will never talk to.
Speaker 1: Never see, never do anything with it's it's mutual accountability.
Speaker 1: And then he says, bring all the ties.
Speaker 1: Now, all the ties in the Hebrew there, it literally means all the time, the full amount.
Speaker 1: See, that was an issue.
Speaker 1: Then as much as it is an issue now that that people were saying, I'm going to bring some, but I'm not going to bring all I'm going to, I'm going to give, I'm just going to give a tie
Speaker 2: Into the
Speaker 1: House.
Speaker 1: Where do you bring it to the place I designed for it, my house, my temple.
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 1: So that there'll be food.
Speaker 1: It's place specific and purpose, specific physical food for priests, spiritual food for
Speaker 2: Everybody.
Speaker 1: This is the reason for it.
Speaker 1: What's the result.
Speaker 1: I will bless 100% of your resources.
Speaker 2: All of it.
Speaker 2: I want
Speaker 1: To throw some charts up on the wall, on the screens here for you really quick.
Speaker 1: And these, these charts indicate three different income levels.
Speaker 1: One is$30,000 a year.
Speaker 1: Second is a hundred thousand dollars a year, and third is a million dollars a year.
Speaker 1: And how many people would be okay with being on the far right side of that, um, in your world.
Speaker 1: I, I would, but I want you to see that the wild, those numbers changed those graphs numbers.
Speaker 2: It never does.
Speaker 2: 10%
Speaker 1: Is 10% of
Speaker 2: All of them.
Speaker 2: And the reason
Speaker 1: LT is whenever you're making a 30,000, it takes faith to give a time.
Speaker 2: And when you're making a million, it takes faith to give a time.
Speaker 1: It doesn't matter.
Speaker 1: It doesn't matter how much you're making.
Speaker 1: It takes the same amount of faith to give a tie
Speaker 2: Across the board, across the board.
Speaker 1: The amount of faith that takes to tie the little is equal to the amount of takes to tie a lot.
Speaker 1: It's the same percentage.
Speaker 1: And so it always takes faith to time.
Speaker 1: And that brings us to thought number or declaration.
Speaker 1: Number three, when I do write things, God blesses the right things
Speaker 2: I do.
Speaker 2: I do see the
Speaker 1: Y'all brought a curse for disobedience.
Speaker 1: God said, if you do not tie that I will curse,
Speaker 2: But Jesus came and he
Speaker 1: Redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Speaker 2: So many people,
Speaker 1: People would say, well, every Christian I know would say that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Speaker 1: So we are no longer responsible for the penalty of sin in our life.
Speaker 1: How many agree with that?
Speaker 1: I agree with that.
Speaker 1: I'm thankful for it.
Speaker 1: And yet some people teach that if you don't tie God curses your finances.
Speaker 1: Well, if God redeemed the curse of the law, then he didn't redeem the curse of law.
Speaker 5: He redeemed the curse of law completely.
Speaker 5: And so there is no curse for not tithing.
Speaker 5: The curse is removed, but the covenant of blessing for tithing remains.
Speaker 5: There's no divine curse for us for not stewarding God's way, but choosing to steward God's way does engage the covenant of blessing.
Speaker 5: Now you say, well, what is a covenant?
Speaker 5: That's not a word we use a lot.
Speaker 5: Now a covenant is a reciprocal agreement or contract.
Speaker 5: It's saying, if this happens, then that will happen.
Speaker 5: And he said, well, wait a minute.
Speaker 5: God's not about that.
Speaker 5: Well, let's look at that for just a second.
Speaker 5: God said, Jesus offers.
Speaker 5: If you accept me as your Lord and savior, then I will pay your penalty for sin.
Speaker 5: How many agree with that?
Speaker 5: And how many are thankful for that air, man?
Speaker 5: How about this?
Speaker 5: If you take up your cross and follow me, then I will give you eternal life in heaven.
Speaker 5: How many people agree with that?
Speaker 5: And I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 5: It's equally true that he says, if you steward resources my way, then I will bless all that you have.
Speaker 5: It's equally true.
Speaker 5: Giving God the sacred 10 blessed the 100%.
Speaker 5: It blessed the 100%.
Speaker 5: It's a covenant that God offers, but it is our choice to engage in or not.
Speaker 5: And some, somebody might be thinking well, okay, so good.
Speaker 5: I heard what you said.
Speaker 5: And now you said there's no, there's no curse.
Speaker 5: And truthfully, if there was a curse, if God's the one cursing you you're done, there's no hope for you.
Speaker 5: You're not going to escape.
Speaker 5: God's curse.
Speaker 5: But if there is no curse, you might be saying, well, wait a minute.
Speaker 5: I am blessed.
Speaker 5: I'm doing good.
Speaker 5: My finances are strong.
Speaker 5: My business is good.
Speaker 5: So if there's no curse for not doing it, then why do I need to do it?
Speaker 5: I mean, truthfully, why do I have my house is good?
Speaker 5: My kids are good financially.
Speaker 5: I'm strong.
Speaker 5: So I don't need God to bless me in that area.
Speaker 5: I'm I'm good.
Speaker 5: All by myself.
Speaker 5: Now he's still has been your provider all the way along.
Speaker 5: Number one, but that's also a very small mentality when it comes to the vision that God has for your life.
Speaker 5: Very small, because what you're saying is I am good and that's enough.
Speaker 5: And the fact is that God has said about the time makes when you're tied, there's food in my house for all.
Speaker 5: It's not about you.
Speaker 5: It's not about me.
Speaker 5: It's about all.
Speaker 5: And so what could we do if everyone tied?
Speaker 5: No, this church has a great policy and we have great management of resources.
Speaker 5: But if we're going to build another building, we have, we're going to have to do a building fund campaign or a resource initiative.
Speaker 5: We're going to have to, we're going to have to do differently.
Speaker 5: What if everybody tied would we have to do that?
Speaker 5: How many young people and students could be reached for Christ?
Speaker 5: If everybody tied, it's not equal amounts, it's equal sacrifice, equal amounts, doesn't work equal sacrifice.
Speaker 5: That's what a tide is.
Speaker 5: How many widows and orphans could we help?
Speaker 5: How many, how many meals could he put on a table?
Speaker 5: Kevin can our vision grow?
Speaker 5: And can I just say that in five lakes, church, there is no lack of vision.
Speaker 5: We have more vision to do more and reach more people for the things in kingdom of God than we have resources to do it with, right?
Speaker 5: The vision is there now I've, I've been direct with you today, but stewarding is a heart issue.
Speaker 5: Matthew six 21 for where your treasure is there.
Speaker 5: Your heart will be also your treasure and your heart will always be found in the same place.
Speaker 5: Second Corinthians nine.
Speaker 5: Remember this, a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop, but the one who blends generously will get a generous crop.
Speaker 5: You must each decide.
Speaker 5: You must eat the side in your heart.
Speaker 5: How much to give and don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure.
Speaker 5: So that means that if I, if, if I was to try to literally pressure you to give, I would be wrong.
Speaker 5: And if you gave, because of it, you would be wrong.
Speaker 5: So don't give it a response to pressure for God loves a person who gives cheerfully your resources, sacred to God, a portion of it.
Speaker 5: He said, I'm giving you at all.
Speaker 5: And a portion of it as sacred to me.
Speaker 5: So his stewardship plan is revealed.
Speaker 5: Remember that he looks at the attitude in this as he does in work, do it cheerfully.
Speaker 5: It's not easy though.
Speaker 5: It means trusting.
Speaker 5: It means trusting him as your provider.
Speaker 5: It means trusting this church to manage things well, I know what it means.
Speaker 5: 100% know what it means.
Speaker 5: And if you have any questions about this, see pastor Benton Cole, after this service, amen.
Speaker 5: If you're online, his email is I'm kidding.
Speaker 5: Now, listen, if you've attended five Lake shirts for a long time, then, then you know the history of this church, you know, the dedication of this church to good management.
Speaker 5: If you've only been here for a little while, then I encourage you, let the Holy spirit speak to you and work in your life.
Speaker 5: But I'm asking you to give us one year, give us one year.
Speaker 5: And I'm not talking about give us one year in tithing.
Speaker 5: I'm talking about give us one year in, in leadership within the spiritual direction of your life, because this is one lesson out of all the lessons where we're talking about who you are in Christ, we're talking about, we're talking about time and how it can be managed.
Speaker 5: And we're going to move forward from here.
Speaker 5: Follow the leadership in your spiritual life for one year and see if your life, your family, your business, your community, isn't better.
Speaker 5: And if it is not, we will introduce you to some other, to some other great churches in the area.
Speaker 5: We have some beautiful churches in the area.
Speaker 5: I'm biased and think this is the best one, but we have great churches in the area.
Speaker 5: I'm confident that by applying biblical principles of practices, your life is going to get better.
Speaker 5: If you do it randomly pick and choose, then it's going to cause confusion.
Speaker 5: And so commit to daily devotions, prayer, communion with God, join a life group, attend church online or in person or site every week and commit to contributing the whole time into the kingdom of God.
Speaker 5: I'm going to ask you to stand with me.
Speaker 5: Musicians, come praise team, come.
Speaker 5: I know this is tough stuff.
Speaker 5: We're in a tough time in our world.
Speaker 5: And I think it's going to require that the people of God focus in and that's what we're called to.
Speaker 5: So father in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your word.
Speaker 5: I thank you for your power, for your spirit.
Speaker 5: I thank you for what you're doing and how you're doing it in our lives.
Speaker 5: And I'm asking you to open up our hearts, open our hearts to trust you, open our hearts, to trust our brothers and sisters who are tasked with managing and stewarding within the context of the church.
Speaker 5: But ultimately I'm, I'm asking you, you would soften our hearts, even as you open our mind to see the blessing and the benefit not to look at how little can be, but look at how much could become as we open our heart to your way of stewarding resource.
Speaker 5: Oh, I give you thanks and praise for that.
Speaker 5: Mighty God in Jesus name, I pray.