WEBVTT 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:08.080 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:16.800 Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting. 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:25.600 Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:31.920 We're so glad that you're here. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:33.759 Hey Vinny, actually I have one up here, so I'm good. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:34.159 I'm good. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:34.479 Thank you. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:35.119 I got it. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:35.679 Thank you. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.240 Um we're so, so glad that you are here. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:39.840 If this is your first time here, welcome. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:40.799 Um, my name is Keith. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:47.520 I have the privilege of serving as the the bleed pastor here at Celebration Orlando, um, alongside my wonderful wife and our great team. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.799 And we're so glad um that you are here with us uh today. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.000 Um and I'm excited because today we're kicking off our brand new series called All Hands. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:22.159 Maybe when you came in today or even noticed on platform, some of us had on some uniform t-shirts that said all hands, and what all hands is, it's our annual series that we go through as a church where we have an opportunity for us to come together as a community to kind of re-engage the vision and the mission that God has given our house uniquely, and then begin to ask the question what part does God want us to play in advancing the kingdom through this unique specific um congregation? 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:26.319 And so our all hands is always an opportunity for us to evaluate and engage. 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:34.640 What does it look like to steward what God has given us and making sure that we make it available to have an impact in the things that God is calling us to do? 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:39.040 And so over the next couple of weeks, we're gonna be talking about stewardship. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:46.959 Now, when I say stewardship, there's always the the connotation of stewardship of of time and talent and treasures. 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:53.359 But what we're gonna be speaking about specifically over the next couple of weeks is stewardship of our treasure, of our resources. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.439 So to put it plain, um, for the next couple of weeks, we're gonna be talking about money. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:03.120 You notice I'll say that after the doors closed and we have security that's blocking it, they're keeping you from getting out. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:16.639 And and here, and here's the thing, I I I get that not only is money a sensitive subject, just for us in general, because the truth of the matter is um if we can look out at any politician, we're in that political season, right? 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:22.159 Every one of them are setting themselves up to be the answer of all of our political concerns, of all of our financial burdens. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:23.680 Like, hey, I'm the solution. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.240 If you put me in office, all your problems will go away. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:31.360 Anyone who's been alive long enough just knows that that's not true, but nonetheless, we buy into the system every two and four years. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:36.960 But nonetheless, we recognize that finances are such a critical part of the way that we live our lives. 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:46.400 It's a it's a resource, it's a tool that can often be connected to our ability to accomplish our dreams, um, for us to be able to go on vacation, for us to live the life that we want to live. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:52.000 But we recognize also that one-fourth of all of Jesus' teachings were about money. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:55.840 That's like that's like every fourth sermon I'm preaching about money. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:57.039 Imagine that. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:58.800 They're like, please, Keith, don't. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:02:59.599 I'm not, I'm not. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:03.280 I teach I teach on money literally once per year, and this happens to be the time when we do it. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:13.759 But literally, Jesus talked about it a lot because he knew that the same way that it is a burden for them then, it still is a burden for us now, and he wanted us to have a healthy perspective on it. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:23.840 In addition to that, American Psychological Association reports that 60% of Americans say that money is a significant source of stress. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:29.360 It affects our relationships, it affects our decisions, it affects our very peace of mind. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:36.800 Some people stay up late at night wondering how they're going to make ends meet or what their next steps are gonna be, and if there's gonna be enough money in retirement. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:48.879 This this idea of our resources is so deeply connected to the way that we live our lives that it's no surprise that God has something to say about it, which then means that we have a responsibility to speak to it. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:04:02.319 So, over the next couple of weeks, we're gonna be talking about what does it look like to steward our resources through the lens of God, getting the mind of God around our resources and how do we generously give, even in areas where we ourselves are experiencing lack. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:07.520 We have a couple of verses I want to read to us, and and we're gonna be spending some time in God's word. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:11.120 So today is definitely a day I want to encourage you to um take notes. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:16.879 Now, one of the things we're gonna do that's a little bit unique in this series is that we are going to be making the notes available. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:21.600 We're gonna email them out um to anyone that's connected to our email database, so you're gonna get them anyway. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:31.920 But I think it's important to have moments where we can engage God's word together as a community and even jot down things that may be standing out to you specifically that may not be covered in the notes we're gonna make available. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:39.759 And the reason why we're doing that is because I think I have about 20 scriptures and 19 points to share with you guys today. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:41.360 Buckle up. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:47.839 But but but but all of it is going to be, we're gonna flow through it, some of it, I'll reference some of it, I'll quote, some of it we'll read together. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:56.480 But the goal is to make sure that we can rightly engage God's word holistically and truly get the mind of God and allow that to be something that can plant a seed in our hearts. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:58.000 Can I get a good amen to that? 00:04:58.480 --> 00:04:58.800 All right. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:04.240 I told the first service that this is not the service for y'all to get quiet on. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.639 So when I say something, I want y'all to say amen. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:07.519 So we're gonna try it out. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:08.639 Let's say it, let's try this again. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:15.680 God has been so good to us, God has been so good to us, and God also wants us to be generous. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:17.360 Got a little bit quieter. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:18.800 God also wants us to be generous. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.959 Okay, if y'all could keep that energy, we're gonna get through the service really, really smooth. 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:30.000 Okay, let's look at 1 Chronicles chapter 29, and we're gonna look at two uh verses in here, and then we're gonna skip over. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:37.519 But looking at verse number 12, it says this riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:44.399 Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:49.439 Now, therefore, our God, we give thanks and praise to your glorious name. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:56.160 But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:03.519 For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:08.800 This is the literal definition of stewardship. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:18.399 David is in the process of a building project, he's raising resources to build the first temple in order to have a place for God's name to dwell. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:29.199 And after he collects all of these resources from the people around them, and they get an abundance, they get a they get a tremendous response from the people in the community as they're offering it to God. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:34.000 David makes this declaration, like, Lord, who are we that we're able to give anything to you? 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.639 Because the truth of the matter is, everything we're giving you, you gave to us in the first place. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:40.720 So that's the definition of stewardship. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:49.279 Stewardship is recognizing that everything that I have comes from God, that I'm not an owner of anything, I am simply stewarding what God has given me. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:55.040 And as I can be trusted with what he puts into my hand, then he will continue to make me a conduit for more. 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.000 This is how the biblical principle works. 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.839 So that's what we're gonna be talking about today and over the next couple of weeks. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:09.759 I want to pivot now to our main scripture that we're gonna be spending our time in today, and that's found in Malachi chapter number three. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:17.920 Because we're gonna talk about offerings, we're gonna talk about how do we make sure that we're not living lives of greed, but we're also gonna be talking about radical generosity. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:22.560 But today we're talking about everybody's favorite subject, and that is tithing. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:27.519 Okay, we're catching on, we're catching on. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:29.920 They're like, it's all good until you said tithing. 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:34.000 Okay, let's look at what God's word says in Malachi chapter three. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.319 Should people cheat God? 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:38.480 Yet you cheated me. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.480 But you ask, what do you mean? 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.560 Where did we ever cheat you? 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.399 You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:50.399 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:55.199 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so there will be enough food in my temple. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:08:04.959 If you do, says the Lord of heaven's armies, I will open up windows of heaven for you, and I will pour out blessings so great that you won't have room enough to take it in. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:08.160 Try it, put me to the test. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:13.839 Man, y'all are y'all already are better than the nine o'clock service. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.759 But don't tell them I said that. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:25.519 What I love about this passage is that God is both confronting his people, but also inviting them into a deeper response. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.480 It's a confrontation, but it's also an invitation. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.560 He says to them, Hey, would anyone rob me? 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:32.080 God, of course we wouldn't rob you. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:38.480 He says, But plot twist you have been, because you haven't been honoring me with the very things that I've made available for you. 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:39.840 So I want to challenge you in this. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:41.039 This is not condemnation. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.720 I want to invite you into this intimate place with me where you can trust me. 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.080 And then he says these words, you can test me in this. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:49.200 Test me in this. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.639 Try me out in this area and watch how I respond to it. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:09:00.240 So today I want to talk about this concept of returning to God and what he has given to us. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:02.960 If you're taking notes, and again, I hope that we've established that. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:07.759 I really want you to, I want you to write down this message title, Do I Have to Tithe? 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.840 And if you're really feeling aggressive, you can say, Do I really have to tithe? 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:16.639 Do I have to tithe or do I really have to tithe? 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:19.600 Let's pray and let's see what the Lord will speak to us on this today. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:21.039 Lord, we thank you for your presence. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:23.519 We also thank you for your provision. 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:28.639 God, I just ask over the next few moments that you give us open eyes to see you and only you. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:38.559 I pray that you give us open ears to hear you and only you, and open hearts to receive everything that you want to deposit into our hearts that can lead us to a place of transformation. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:40.879 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:47.600 I recently um celebrated my 49th birthday. 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:50.639 Um that's right. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:53.679 Now, now for those who are new to our community, I know what you're thinking. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:56.799 You're saying to yourself, there's no way that this handsome man is 49 years old. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:02.320 I got discernment, I can sense that you're saying that, and I'm my response to that is simply this black don't crack. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:02.879 Okay. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:04.720 God had to give us something. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:05.759 Okay, let me move on. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.279 So, so Amen. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:11.759 Somebody gets it. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:12.720 Look at the history. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:20.879 Okay, so anyway, I recently celebrated my 49th birthday, and I am notoriously difficult to celebrate. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.480 My family has made it clear to me, and I recognize I don't make it easy for them. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:29.679 And and I think that that's connected probably to this idea that, man, at the end of the day, I'm good. 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:38.000 I I don't want my family to feel like they have to go above and beyond spending money, going in debt, doing things just for the sake of honoring me. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:42.080 At the end of the day, I know that they love me, I know that we're good, so it's not really necessary. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.679 But here's the conflict, but I actually still want them to honor me. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:51.519 So it's one of those weird things where it's like, hey, you guys don't have to do anything for me, but I'm also like, man, what you're not gonna do anything for me? 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:53.840 Like it's it's that that weird space. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:56.720 Don't spend a lot of money, but don't not spend any money. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:10:58.639 Like, like, so it's that that weird space. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:08.240 And so my my family, specifically my my daughter and and now my youngest son Caleb, because now that he's working and he he's getting his own money, that he wants to do things to kind of to show honor for his father, is great. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:13.039 Now, again, I I don't need anything from them, but I appreciate when they're able to honor me. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.200 So I feel like we've done a good job with allowing them to be others focused. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.639 Now, when they were young, we really wanted to drill this point home. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:27.120 We really wanted to work really hard to make sure that they recognized that the world didn't revolve around them, it wasn't just all about them. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:33.200 So when they were young, naturally they didn't have any jobs, they were living in our house for free, they were in elementary school, but they weren't contributing. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:39.840 Um so we but we still wanted to teach this principle of generosity and how does it look to be others' focus? 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.279 And so we did what a lot of other parents did, my parents did it as well. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:47.519 We would give them the money and then tell them to go to the store and pick something out for us. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:49.200 Such a beautiful, precious moment. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.840 Hey, I'm gonna give you the money that you need so that you can go and get something for me. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:56.399 I'm gonna give you exactly what you need in order to honor me. 00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:59.600 I still remember it just as vividly as if it was yesterday. 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:01.759 When I when I took my kids, Keith Jr. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:12.399 was probably about 13 years old, De Niro was about 10, Caleb was a little bit younger, and I remember us dropping them off, like taking them to the Avenues Mall, Jacksonville, back when the Avenues Mall was safe to go to. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:17.200 Um, we dropped them off at the Avenues Mall, and then we were like, okay, you guys go out and pick something out. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:22.159 So they're walking around, and I told them specifically some ideas of what I wanted. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:23.440 I gave them$100. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.399 I trusted it to my son, 13 years old. 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:27.519 This is your first step. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.440 We're gonna give you$100, man. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.399 Go and get something for me. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:34.480 I gave them a list of options, and then we're gonna see how they're gonna honor their father. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:40.879 The next day comes, they come back, they're all excited, they're like really, really happy to be together, and they're like, Dad, we got a gift for you. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:46.159 I'm like, okay, I can't wait to see what my precious children, whom I've given everything for. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.840 I can't wait to see how they're gonna honor me with the resources that I've given them. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:54.960 And so they came to me and they gave me a card, and I can immediately recognize that this card came from the dollar section. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:58.240 I'm not trying to keep receipts, but I can see where it came from. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:00.559 Okay, that's the$1.99 left. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:05.600 And so then they give me, then they give me a$10 gift card for Cinnabon. 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.360 Now, I love me a good Cinnabon. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.799 You heat me up a Cinnabon with some milk, I my night is set. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:15.679 And watching the Philadelphia Eagles dominate over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that may be taking place today. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:18.639 We may shut service down and watch it right now. 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.960 Anyway, so I'm thinking, okay, great, this is great. 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:24.559 Okay, I got my I got my I got my card with their handwriting in it. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:28.960 I got my Cinnabon that was$10, and now I'm thinking to myself, like, okay, what's next? 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.600 And then eerily, nothing else happened. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:33.600 So we're sitting there, we're chilling. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:38.879 Wife brings me something to eat, we're sitting there, and in the back of my head, my kids are there, and they're like, Dad, you want anything to drink? 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:47.919 You want and they're doing all the things that your kids are supposed to do, but I'm too good at math, and I'm thinking to myself, that's about$11 out of a hundred. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:52.080 So eventually I just say, like, hey man, like, you got anything else? 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:54.080 They're like, No, Dad, we wanted to give you this. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:58.720 We know how much you love Cinnabon, probably a little bit too much, but we love, you know, we wanted to make sure we took care of you. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:03.039 And and so I said to myself, Didn't I give you a hundred dollars? 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:03.919 They're like, Yeah. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:06.559 I'm like, so where's the rest? 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:19.759 And my son, with every confidence that he had in his pre-bupecent voice, looks at me in my eyes and he says to me, Dad, like, when we got to the mall, the video game I've been looking for had came out. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.799 And I didn't know that it was on sale, but I had to go and get that. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:24.960 And then we went and got something to eat. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:28.320 And then after we got something to eat, then then Deneira wanted something. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.200 You know, she likes getting those earrings from Spencer, so I had to go get her that. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.159 Um, and then we got you what was left for you. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.360 I said, so let me let me understand this correctly. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:47.360 I gave you what you need to honor me, and you chose to create expenses that made that an impossibility. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:15:11.519 I don't need anything from you, but it's great when I know that you love me enough that you can honor me as your father, and out of all the goodness that I've done for you, and I've given you everything that you need to respond it back to me, and you're telling me now that it's an inconvenience. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:13.919 I learned two lessons that day. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:17.759 One, never give my kids anything. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.919 I stand on that now, ten toes down, unmoved. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.039 I'll buy it myself and say thank you to y'all later. 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:26.879 It's the thought that counts. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:30.000 But but here's the second thing that I learned from that. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.559 How often have I done that to God? 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:56.320 How often have I turned an invitation to show my gratitude and love to God and responding to Him, what He has made available to me so that others can experience Him, and I've turned it into a burden where I've said, God, I would love, I would love to give, but I got these expenses, I got this, I got this house, I got a paper, I got this car note, I got all these things that I've created. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:01.679 That now, even though you've given it to me, it's an inconvenience to give it back to you, even a portion of it. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:07.200 That, my friends, is why the tithe is so important. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:11.919 Because a tithe is not just 10%, it's the first 10%. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:18.960 If my kids would have told me, Dad, we got you some stuff first and we got some things for ourselves afterwards, it's great. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:27.440 But they chose to prioritize everything else for themselves first, and they instantly made me an afterthought. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:38.320 What the tithe is, is it's the way that we're able to honor God with our resources and saying, God, I'm choosing to put you first, even in this area of my life. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:52.320 I'm not gonna look at the end of the week, and after I went out, after I had a couple of brunches, after I've done everything I want to do to see how much I got left to give you, but I'm gonna orient my life around this because this is my number one priority. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:55.679 But let's get very practical. 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:06.880 Because I understand that we're coming from a context where where maybe you were raised in a context where you understand what the tithe is, maybe maybe you're unfamiliar with it, maybe it's it's something that seems profoundly legalistic. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:12.720 So I want to take a couple of minutes and just explain at its core level what tithing means. 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:21.839 The tithe means the tenth, and it's not just the tenth, but it's the first 10% that the Israelites were required to return to God. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.599 It was the first 10% of what we would define as our income, but for them, it would have been their harvest. 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:30.000 Back in those days, they didn't have actual money. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:34.480 The way that they processed through things was was through an agrarian culture and they bartered. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:40.559 And so the way that they manage their resources would have been okay, I sow seeds and we get a harvest of wheat. 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:44.319 So I'm going to give God 10%, my first 10% of my harvest from that. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:46.319 And then you can kind of work it through everything else. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:49.759 If you if you raise livestock, I give God my first livestock. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:54.559 It was all about recognizing that God is the one who gives you the harvest. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:05.039 So my way of honoring him is returning to him the first and the best, knowing that I can have, I can live better with the 90 with God's blessing than 100% without it. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:10.319 That was the principle that was established in Leviticus chapter 27, verse number 30. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:15.039 The Bible tells us, Give every tithe to the Lord, the first 10%. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.839 It is holy and it belongs to God. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.920 This is what scripture is telling us. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:28.480 Now, now let's get into some practicality when it talks about the tithing, because for God who doesn't need anything from us, why did he create the tithe? 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:34.000 And there's a couple of principles that I want to lay out for us on why God created tithing in the first place. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:40.799 A God who doesn't need anything from us, but yet he invites us to generously return and to invest in kingdom work. 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:47.039 Here's the first thing is that God created the tithe to support the work of the priest and the Levites. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:51.359 He created the tithe to support the work of the priest and the Levites. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.559 What I mean by that is that is that ministry was hard work. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:58.480 Ministry was a full-time job for that designation of people. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:02.960 And when you understand the dynamics, they didn't have an inheritance from the Lamb. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.720 That when they made it into the promised land, the priest, the Levites, they didn't have anything. 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:13.440 And so God said, I want to make sure that the people who work in full-time ministry can still provide for their families. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:18.000 So they're going to take a portion of the tithe to make sure that my people are well taken care of. 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:27.279 In other words, God wants to make sure that the people who have given their lives up and opportunities to make more money in other places, that I still want to make sure that they can have their needs met as well. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.359 Numbers chapter 18, verse 21. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:34.160 Give to all the Levites all the tithes in Israel because they don't have an inheritance. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:35.519 This is their portion. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.160 This is the biblical concept of where the tithe comes from. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:43.920 The other reason why God created the tithe was to provide for the poor and the needy. 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.319 To provide for the poor and the needy. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:20:02.000 A portion of the tithe was set up in God's ecosystem that He wanted to make sure that the poor, that the widows, that the orphans, that people who were the least of these, people that we would often pass by, people that we would ignore, he wanted to make sure that they had their needs met as well. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:16.000 Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 28 through 29 talks about how God wants to make sure that there's no one who's experiencing lack, no matter what their social status is, no matter what their dynamics are, that they have everything that they need. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:24.000 Point number three is that God wanted to make sure that He created the tithe so that we could sustain worship and maintain the temple. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:30.160 He wanted to make sure that the house of God had everything that it needed to serve its purpose in that community. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:34.480 In other words, they needed to make sure that the operations of the facility were going well. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:38.000 God wanted to make sure that his house was very well taken care of. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:40.720 He wanted to make sure that the oil was there. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:42.319 He wanted to make sure that the bread was fresh. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:46.640 He wanted to make sure that these things that were that were typical then different for us now. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:52.559 He wanted to make sure that the operations of the ministry could continue to move forward. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:57.599 Number four, he wanted to teach trust and dependence on God. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:02.720 He wanted to ultimately teach you to trust and have dependence on God. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:11.359 Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 23, that the purse of tithing was to teach the people that they are to trust their Lord their God. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:20.240 As I shared with you, the principle wasn't about giving God the back end of the harvest, but the idea was recognizing that I trust that God is my provider. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:25.599 Now, in our modern context, there's some advantages that we have that they didn't have, and vice versa. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:34.480 One of the advantages that we have that they didn't have is that for us, we go to work, we kind of know what our paychecks are going to be, depending on what your industry is. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:37.759 We have a certain rhythm where we know what we can't anticipate. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:44.000 So it's easy for us to calculate, know, and how to not only live life set bills, but also on how to be generous. 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:46.799 In that context, for them, they didn't have that. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:54.799 They would plant seeds and they would water the seeds and they would cultivate the ground, and they're just waiting and hoping that a harvest was going to come through. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:59.759 And when a harvest came through, the first crop from that harvest, they would take it and then take it. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880 The house of God. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:03.599 And that was their way of saying, God, I trust you. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:07.599 In the same way that you provided this, I know that you're going to provide more. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:10.160 They were literally walking by faith and not by sight. 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:13.279 They didn't get a full amount and know, like, oh, yeah, I can afford to give it to you. 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:19.039 That for them, they were giving God their first batch of the harvest, and they were trusting that God was going to do it. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:25.680 And interestingly enough, for the people that did that, the abundance that came after that was beyond all you can ask or think. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:28.559 For those who didn't, they end up experiencing lack. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:30.880 This is the way that it worked back in those days. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:36.960 So we understand that God is teaching us that He wants us to trust and to depend on Him. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.319 But here's the truth. 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.119 We recognize that we live in the 21st century. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:46.559 So many things in Scripture, not that they have changed, but the applications may have evolved. 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:51.119 So there are many that don't understand tithing, or maybe they don't agree with it. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:56.400 And here's some of the major points on why people don't agree with the tithe anymore. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:02.079 Some would say this that tithing is an old testament law and it doesn't apply under grace. 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.559 That we're under the dispensation of grace, and that tithing was an old testament principle. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.240 There's a couple of things I'll say to that. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:10.079 Tithing started before the law started. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:18.960 Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before the institution of the law, which gives you the idea that giving God your best is a principle that transcends the law. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:32.480 Secondly, the thing that's worth recognizing is that in Matthew 23, 23, when Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, he is saying to them, You guys are so fixated on giving a tithe of all of your income, which you should do. 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.759 That's a good thing. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:36.559 However, you've neglected being kind to people. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:38.400 So Jesus affirms the tithe. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:39.680 He doesn't say that they shouldn't do it. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:44.079 He simply says, That's a good thing, but you actually still should be kind to people. 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:46.720 So Jesus was making that designation. 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:56.880 But then the other thing that I think is worth recognizing is that when we are true students of God's word, here's what we'll learn: that grace always requires more of us, not less. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:59.359 Grace requires more and not less. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:00.799 Let me let me give you an example of that. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.440 Lord, how many times do I have to forgive my brother? 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.119 70 times seven. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:11.519 Jesus gave them an equation that said, Hey, every time they make a mistake, I expect you to forgive. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:12.400 That's grace. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:14.960 The law was eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:16.480 Grace required more of them. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:17.759 Here's another example. 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:21.119 Hey, Lord, like at what point do I commit adultery? 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:24.880 Because the law says it's only when I actually fornicate. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:25.839 That's the law. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:32.799 Grace says, no, if you even look at someone lustfully and to diminish them into an object, you've already committed adultery in your heart. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:33.920 It requires more. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:39.440 What you'll see when you study the Sermon on the Mount is that grace requires more of us, not less of us. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:45.599 So if we take the standard that, hey, that tithing is the law, well, grace requires more of us. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:52.480 Tithing is simply the entry point that brings us to a place of generosity, not something that should cause us to go backwards. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:57.119 Here's the second thing that I recognize that some people will say when it comes to tithing. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:58.720 I can't afford to tithe. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:01.839 I just flat out can't afford to do it. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:10.799 Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck, and giving 10% of their income would legitimately create financial hardship. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.240 Their financial position just doesn't allow for them to have the margin of giving 10%. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.920 And I get that. 00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:26.880 I remember when Megan and I came into full-time ministry, um, that it was that was our dilemma. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:30.480 Prior to us coming into full-time ministry, Megan was a stay-at-home mom. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:34.400 I was working as an administrator in the school system, doing doing fairly well. 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:38.240 But then God was challenging me to come into full-time ministry. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:44.799 And I've shared this story, but I want to give you guys a glimpse into our journey that required me to take a$35,000 pay cut. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:49.119 Somebody got choked up when I said, like,$35, yes,$35,000. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:50.240 You heard that clearly. 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.319 I'm still choked up thinking about it. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:54.960 $35,000 pay cut. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:26:00.640 I don't know about the way that your financial situation is situated, but I felt that instantly. 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:08.480 Not only did we not have the margin that we needed, but we simultaneously didn't feel like we were able to even consider tithing. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:10.240 So I began to negotiate with God. 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:11.680 And I'm great at negotiation. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:14.640 So I said, Lord, look, okay, here's here's what I'm thinking, God. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:19.599 I'm taking a$35,000 pay cut. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:23.279 So in theory, that gap should cover my tithe, right? 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.319 As far as I'm concerned, you still owe me another 25%. 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:28.880 That's my math. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:36.000 And so I remember wrestling with this maybe for like the first week or so of me thinking to myself, like, like, hey, we we can't afford to do it. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:42.799 But then I found myself going to God's word and recognizing these moments where God is challenging and inviting us. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:46.640 And then Megan and I came to the conclusions that we can't afford not to do it. 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:50.240 Because the fact of the matter is, we are tithing somewhere. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:55.519 We're tithing to the electric company, we're we're tithing to our car payment, we're tithing somewhere. 00:26:55.680 --> 00:27:02.480 Somewhere is getting the first 10% of our money, but the problem is they're not the ones that are in power to bring a blessing to what we have. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:08.960 So we began to recognize that I don't care what we have to downsize, we're going to put God first. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:14.240 We we moved into a smaller home just so that we can continue to honor God with our resources. 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:17.200 We we legitimately turned off the internet. 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:25.440 That sounds crazy now, but I'm telling you, we would be posted up at we'd be posted up at Panera, getting homework assignments done for my kids. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:26.799 They're like, yo, like what happened to us? 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:29.119 We live in a gated neighborhood, but yet we're the poorest people here. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:30.480 I'm like, yes, but we're here. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:31.759 Like you're safe. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.880 Like we we did everything we could in order to do it. 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:36.240 We cut off all of our streaming. 00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:45.519 I'm I'm pirating my neighbors' Wi-Fi, like I'm doing everything I can to survive because I knew I didn't want my lifestyle to outpace my obedience. 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:50.880 And so I knew that for us, we said we can't afford not to honor God in this area. 00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:52.319 And it was a hard road. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:57.200 And and I could tell you that there were some challenges, but what I can also tell you is we never went without. 00:27:57.359 --> 00:27:58.799 I I don't know how God did it. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:03.680 I'm not going to even presume to say that money magically appeared in our accounts, but we never had a need. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.240 Somebody would randomly be like, hey man, you guys want to go out to dinner? 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:07.839 I'm like, absolutely. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:09.599 That was the meal that we needed. 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:14.319 It would just always be these moments, these God moments, where God was showing us that He was with us. 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:29.200 And if I could be honest with you, my faith grew more in God in that season of me stretching out and trusting him than it has in any other point in my life, because it was me truly, really, really saying, God, if you're really gonna be who you say you're gonna be, I'm gonna need to see it. 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:34.079 The tithe is the literal only thing in Scripture that God says, test me in this area. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:41.839 Of everything in the Bible, of all of his promises, of all the things that he says, the tithe is literally the only thing that he says. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:43.920 If you don't believe me, try me in this area. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:47.519 I I give you permission to test me and watch how I respond to it. 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:55.440 It's an invitation for us to trust God in an area of our lives that can sometimes make us feel a little uncomfortable. 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:59.200 Here's the third thing that we often see in resistance to the tithe. 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:04.400 The tithing is manipulative, and churches just want my money. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:07.200 And I think that's something that's worth discussing. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.680 Now, here's my my side note. 00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:16.960 Every time I go to publics, they ask me if I want to give to whatever is the need of that month. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.559 Hey, you want to give to American Cancer? 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:18.960 Absolutely. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:20.240 You want to give to breast light? 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:20.640 Absolutely. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.920 You want to give to AIDS Research? 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:22.480 Absolutely. 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:27.920 Every time I go to any place that has a missional heart, they're always inviting me to give to it. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:29.119 And you know what I've never done? 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:32.240 I've never walked away saying, I wonder what they're doing with that money. 00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:33.920 Breast cancer is still around, isn't it? 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:38.160 Like I've never I've never thought of that ever in my entire life. 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:46.400 Whenever I'm walking outside around Christmas time and you see the Salvation Army ringing the bell, they're like, hey man, you got any money on you to give? 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:48.000 I'm like, sorry, bro, I don't got any cash on me. 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:49.200 Well, cool, we got cash app. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:51.039 Like they upgraded their status. 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:53.359 Like they all upgraded. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:54.400 You have no excuses now. 00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:56.960 Did you know that even homeless people have cash apps now? 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.079 True story, side note, y'all pray for me. 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.559 I was walking down the street in downtown, somebody's like, hey, you got any dollars on you? 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:03.519 I'm like, no, I don't have anything. 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.559 Man, you can hit my cash app. 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:05.839 I'm like, where'd you get the phone from? 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:09.599 Okay, anyway, pray for me. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:10.559 I'm still me. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:16.880 So, so, but, but I I recognize, I recognize that in those instances, I never worry about those things. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:22.640 Because people recognize that money is a tool that helps you to advance your mission. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:33.839 So, so when I get inundated with emails from every politician you can think of, they're saying to themselves, I am the savior for your finances, I am the savior for your entire life. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:38.240 Listen, if that other person gets in office, all is lost, you might as well just give it all in. 00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:40.400 But if I get in office, I will fix everything. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:43.519