WEBVTT

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We are into a series that, this is the fifth message.

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First message was, we talked about the principle in Scripture that says what we love, we give to.

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And that's just a universal principle. If you love your spouse, you're going to give to your spouse.

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If you love your children, you're going to give to your children.

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If you love your house, you're going to give to your house.

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You're going to decorate it. You're going to give your time to clean it.

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If you love your car, you're going to give to your car.

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It's just whatever we love, we give to.

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That's why the principle is, 2nd Corinthians 8-8,

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tithing and financial giving to what the Lord asks us to do is a test of our love.

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It's a heart check.

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Because he wants us to handle it in a certain way.

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So that was the first message. Then message 2-3 and 4 was dealing with, 2 and 3 was dealing with Abraham's Covenant.

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Talking about Abraham's Covenant and showing how that ends up in the New Testament.

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And then the last message we dealt with was specifically showing from the New Testament that tithing is for today.

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That's the big controversy.

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Well, that was under the law. Well, now you're showing your ignorance because it wasn't under the law.

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It's before the law. And the purpose for it was way before the law.

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And it's not for today. Well, there again, Scripture says it is.

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And I think we've got that nailed down sufficiently at this point.

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That it's going to be kind of hard for you to listen to those messages and argue your way out of it.

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Saying, well, I don't believe it is for today. Well, it is.

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So, with that said, let's move on. And I do want to clarify something before I go on.

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See if I can put this such a way just to roll off.

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I had quoted a Scripture in Numbers 18, verse 21 through 23. I just want to briefly touch this.

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I went back and I listened to it and I said, I didn't say that. I said that. That was wrong.

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I said, I need that mic.

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There's another 10 bucks gone.

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I'm just messing with you.

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Thank you for the thoughtfulness though. You were going to help me.

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That's amazing. Russians help people.

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Is that true, Sam? Yeah, it is. OK.

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Mouth of two or three witnesses.

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I better get back to my subject there.

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I said if the Israelites didn't tithe, then there was going to be death. That was incorrect.

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The Israelites were to bring the tithes and give them to the Levites, and then the Levites had to do the job of the tabernacle.

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In the Israelites were forbidden to do the job of the tabernacle.

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If they tried to do what the people that God called to do for the tabernacle or for church,

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if the average lay person tried to do their job, they would die.

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Which, I mean, that's a message all by itself.

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I had a guy tell me one time, he said, you know when you speak, sometimes you make a difference between yourself and the people.

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I said, well, there is a difference.

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No, anybody can do what you do.

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That has never been a picture in Scripture.

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Because I'll be glad to hand this baby on and get out of this spot.

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You want it?

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I'll be glad to hand this on.

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There is a call with what God wants us to do.

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And we can't just do each other's job willy-nilly.

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I mean, it doesn't work that way.

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But I wanted to clear that up, that part of it.

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So when it comes to tithing, there is so much to cover.

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We'll see in a second. I'm a guy.

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I can only think about one thing at a time, and I got distracted there, so my mouth shut down.

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Women, you have such a gift, you can multitask.

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Guys can't do... it's hard to chew gum and walk at the same time.

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We forget what we're doing.

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Anyway, there's so much... it's a good spot, women, not to say amen.

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I know you were tempted to.

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Yeah, that's my husband. He can't do two things at the same time.

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It's just one. Yeah, that's the way we're wired, I'm sorry.

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But there are so many things that you could cover in the tithing thing.

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Some are relevant, some are irrelevant to the New Testament.

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We're trying to hit just the basics of the relevant stuff.

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Like for instance, did you... irrelevant stuff.

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Did you know in the Old Testament there was three tithes?

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The normal 10% tithe, a second tithe that was every three years

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that the people were to take and use to fund their trip to Jerusalem.

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Everybody had to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem every three years.

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And they were to use the second tithe to pay for that trip.

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And then there was a third tithe that came in between the years

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where they weren't funding to go to Jerusalem.

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That was for the poor.

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And there was guidelines and stuff laid out for that.

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Yeah, it doesn't really apply to us.

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But I mean, if we wanted... I just say all that to say

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if we wanted to get in and explain everything, it's just...

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it doesn't make any sense to do that.

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So we're just going to kind of go where...

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what works for the New Testament.

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So let's pick up where we left off on the last message

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and go from there.

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We're reaching a point where now God is going to begin

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tapping you on the shoulder and say,

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you got to do something with this.

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To this point, it's been kind of gathering information.

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Maybe he's tapped you on the shoulder already.

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If he hasn't, this is the time it's going to start.

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He's going to... you got to do something with this.

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James 1.22, do not merely listen to the word

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and so deceive yourselves.

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Do what it says.

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So at some point, the Holy Spirit will tap us on the shoulder

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and say, well, now you heard it, now you know it.

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Now, in order to keep you out of deception,

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you got to start doing what you know.

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James 2.24, we see a man is not justified.

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A man is justified by works and not by face only.

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So here's the scripture that Walt had given when Walt shared.

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And I just wanted to hit a part of message number four.

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On the first day of every week,

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each one of you should set aside a sum of money

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keeping with his income or as God has prospered him

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so that the collections when Paul shows up

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doesn't have to be dealt with.

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The amplified reads it this way.

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On the first day of the week,

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each one personally should put aside something

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and save it up as he has prospered

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in proportion to what he has been given

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or he has given.

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I said before, there's only one form of giving

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that goes according to our income and it's tithing.

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Offerings do not, alms do not,

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first fruits do not.

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Our tithing is tied to our amount of giving.

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So I just wanted to bring that

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because I hadn't brought that scripture up for you.

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I just wanted to bring it up so that you know where it's at.

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There Paul is specifically talking about tithing

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in the New Testament.

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So every Sunday we have been trying to have someone share

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who has something good to say about their life

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and tithing in their life and so forth.

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And this morning Cindy is going to come and share.

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So Cindy, if you'd join us,

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we're going to have you give us your thoughts on this.

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Good morning.

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You want me to hold the mic for you?

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I wrote this down. It's from my heart

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and I really feel that it's being led by the Spirit.

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So I'm going to be reading it

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but I really feel in my heart

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that this is for someone that's here.

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Once I got the revelation of tithing

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I was one who didn't know how to possibly do it.

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But knowing that our God looks at our heart

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and gives grace and mercy

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and with the Holy Spirit's guidance,

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a plan manifested.

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I started out gradual.

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During certain times of the each year

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I would assess and being led by the Holy Spirit

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I would increase the amount I was giving

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until I was tithing my net income.

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This plan took years to accomplish.

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Then I had to have courage and trust in Him

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that I could continue to increase

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until I was tithing my growths.

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Again, this took time.

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After meeting that accomplishment

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do I have to back up?

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No, I think you're fine. They're playing with the...

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Then came the big question about our income

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and our marriage covenant with my spouse, Wayne.

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He didn't have the revelation of tithing.

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We talked about it several times

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but he didn't seem on board

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but did agree that God had been providing our needs.

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Being the one who handles all of our financial affairs

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and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit

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we eventually started and continued to tithe our growths.

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Wayne still doesn't totally obtain

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or regarding the tithing concept

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but agrees that I am handling

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all financial obligations including the mess-ups

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on the transactions, on any transactions.

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Well, bless God.

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God is greater and there's been no mess-ups or regrets.

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God has been very generous to meet our needs

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including the unexpected enormous cost

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of house renovations that happened just this year

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which Wayne too is reaping from

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because he can be home

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and not have to be in a nursing home.

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There are so many incidents

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that I could exclaim how God has taken care of us

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when in the natural it didn't seem possible.

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It reminds me of the scripture Malachi 310

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to bring all the tithes into the storehouse

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that there be food in my house

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and see if not

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if I will not open the windows of heaven

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and pour out for you such blessings

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that there will not be room enough to receive it.

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For me,

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I feel it's one of the parts of a covenant

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between me and my Lord

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that even though under the new covenant

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I don't have to do it to be saved

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when I act on it and freely give the tithe.

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Being the Lord he is, the exchanges,

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I get blessed.

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As the bride of Christ

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and he be in my groom,

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I want to do things that I know will please him.

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I found it so true that the more I give to my groom

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the more he blesses me.

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He always out blesses me.

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I'm not saying anyone should go against her spouse's desires,

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but to pray and seek the Holy Spirit

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to soften their heart

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and have the tithing concept become rama on to them.

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It is a process that in our situation

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didn't happen overnight.

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Looking back,

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I'm just going to stop and say something here

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that I thought of this morning.

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I questioned myself, how long did it take me to get to that process?

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And honestly, I would say that it took me almost 30 years.

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It is a process that our situation did not happen overnight.

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Looking back, I also see how the process has built my faith.

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I sense during the whole process of tithing God's seeing

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and sees my heart,

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heart's desire to be obedient and please him.

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I would also like to mention,

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even with tithing on a regular basis,

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I do get attacked with thoughts like,

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just think what you could do with that money

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if you didn't tithe it.

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And I'll be honest, this week was one of those weeks

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because I was told I needed a new vehicle.

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I had been working on it before Wayne had his accident.

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It didn't happen.

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I didn't know if I was supposed to get it,

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but it kept coming back to me again

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just in the last couple weeks.

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I even asked the Lord, should I do this?

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And I got the impression, no.

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But that no was so strong.

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I wasn't sure if that was a Lord or not.

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And it was by the inward witness

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that I went through the motions.

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Just go look at the vehicle.

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It's not going to hurt to look at it.

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And it just fell in the place.

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Again, I had to have the money for that.

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We had just forked out all this money on renovations.

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And God supplied the money to be able to do that.

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And not only that, He also blessed me

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because it only came with one key fob.

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They offered me another key fob,

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which key fobs I don't even know about.

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I had a 2006.

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This is a 2016.

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And besides that, the least I've ever bought a vehicle

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is 17,000 miles.

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This one only has 12,000 miles.

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And in the mail on Saturday,

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that was yesterday, right?

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I get an extra key fob besides.

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Cool.

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All right, so there's just another testimony.

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Now I'm going to lose my place

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and have to figure out where I was at.

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I also would like to mention,

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even with tithing on a regular basis,

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I do times get attacked.

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Just what do I do with that money?

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Thank God, the Holy Spirit,

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guiding me on the straight and narrow.

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And during those moments,

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I make sure to get God's tithe to Him

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as quickly as I could.

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And believe me, today,

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it was a water relief to get that in the basket.

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I had gotten victory.

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I had won.

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Not he didn't.

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I got the victory.

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All right, back to where I am.

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I only got a couple sentences left.

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I remind myself

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that God doesn't need this money.

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That there is more to the reason why I am to tithe.

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And I look at it as a way to honor God

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in an act of obedience.

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This makes me feel good.

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And it is something I can do

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to uphold my part of the covenant

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that I have with God, as the word says,

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I am the righteousness of God.

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I remind myself it's not about me,

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but what God wants.

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But you know there's an interesting way

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how God changes some of these things?

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Because correct me if I'm wrong,

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but even when I tithe,

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it doesn't always mean

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that I'm going to get blessed back

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monetarily.

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It's a motivation thing, yes, you're right.

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It's going to be other things.

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This Saturday,

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our kids are celebrating us

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with our 50th wedding anniversary.

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What that means to me

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is yes, it is a great honor,

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but we never

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knew for sure

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if Wayne would ever make it to live that long.

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I would pray

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please let him hold his children,

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please let him see his children graduate,

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please Lord let him be at each of their weddings,

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please Lord let him hold each of his grandbabies

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before you take him.

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He's now 70 some years old

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and we've been able to do all that.

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And this just came up unexpectedly

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and now we're going to be able to have this moment.

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And to me,

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it's an honor to thank everyone else

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and that includes many people here

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that helped us get through this journey

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to encourage us to be able to take the journey

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that was put before us

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to be able to have this moment.

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That's it.

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I remind myself, it's not about me,

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but what God wants.

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What does God want?

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God always wants the best for me.

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I am blessed.

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Amen.

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And that leads perfectly into

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what I want to talk about today.

17:05.840 --> 17:07.900
Remember Paul had to ask forgiveness,

17:08.360 --> 17:10.080
just getting you a running start.

17:10.400 --> 17:11.600
Paul had to ask forgiveness

17:12.760 --> 17:15.280
for not requiring the Corinthian church

17:15.280 --> 17:16.120
to support him.

17:16.600 --> 17:18.220
Because he put him at a disadvantage.

17:18.360 --> 17:20.620
Remember we gave you the scriptures on that?

17:20.720 --> 17:21.380
Last message.

17:22.920 --> 17:24.380
He limited them.

17:26.500 --> 17:28.880
They were being limited in every area.

17:29.660 --> 17:31.320
And we'll show you that this morning

17:31.320 --> 17:32.440
on 2 Corinthians 9.

17:32.600 --> 17:35.260
They were being limited in every area of their lives

17:35.820 --> 17:37.200
because Paul did that.

17:37.500 --> 17:39.200
So Paul had to ask forgiveness for it.

17:39.240 --> 17:42.520
So what does tithing

17:42.520 --> 17:44.680
and financial giving to what God wants

17:44.680 --> 17:45.760
benefit us?

17:46.260 --> 17:47.920
How does it benefit us?

17:47.960 --> 17:49.360
That's our topic for this morning.

17:50.980 --> 17:53.120
So what can we expect?

17:53.360 --> 17:54.940
Well, let's go back to the four points

17:54.940 --> 17:57.020
that I had brought up at the beginning.

17:57.260 --> 17:57.760
First message.

17:59.260 --> 18:00.300
Why do we tithe?

18:01.320 --> 18:02.820
Number one, return to God.

18:02.960 --> 18:03.780
What is actually His?

18:04.280 --> 18:05.300
We haven't hit that yet.

18:05.400 --> 18:06.340
I'm going to hit that this morning.

18:06.940 --> 18:08.180
To supply for God's work,

18:08.340 --> 18:10.280
I think that one we hit really clearly

18:10.280 --> 18:12.620
in the messages 2 through 4.

18:13.280 --> 18:14.500
To test our hearts,

18:14.640 --> 18:16.200
we've mentioned that over and over.

18:17.180 --> 18:18.880
And to provide a way that opens

18:18.880 --> 18:21.620
an avenue of blessing and prosperity

18:22.560 --> 18:23.860
in every way.

18:24.080 --> 18:25.100
And she's absolutely right.

18:25.200 --> 18:26.260
It's not just finances.

18:26.700 --> 18:29.380
In every way, including financial,

18:30.000 --> 18:30.820
for believers.

18:31.080 --> 18:32.160
So we're going to hit number one

18:32.160 --> 18:33.320
and number four this morning.

18:33.700 --> 18:34.740
Get as far as we can get.

18:35.760 --> 18:37.440
I found something interesting

18:38.500 --> 18:40.680
returning to Him what is actually His.

18:40.860 --> 18:42.380
So I thought, let's do a study on this.

18:42.460 --> 18:43.520
I've never done a study on

18:43.520 --> 18:46.020
what does God consider actually His?

18:46.140 --> 18:47.160
And I got a bunch of things here,

18:47.160 --> 18:48.340
so we're going to run through them quickly.

18:48.900 --> 18:50.560
They're on the PowerPoint or the PDF.

18:50.800 --> 18:52.260
You can download with this message

18:52.260 --> 18:53.860
and everything that goes on the screen

18:53.860 --> 18:54.680
is on that PDF.

18:54.880 --> 18:56.540
So you don't have to take notes real fast

18:56.540 --> 18:57.500
because we're going to go fast.

18:58.740 --> 19:01.160
The earth is the Lord's and its fullness.

19:02.380 --> 19:04.280
The world and everyone in it.

19:06.060 --> 19:08.740
The world is God's and everything living in it.

19:08.800 --> 19:09.360
Not just people.

19:09.960 --> 19:11.360
The silver and gold are His.

19:12.660 --> 19:16.600
Our bodies and our spirits are God's.

19:16.600 --> 19:19.500
Any redeemed person belongs to God.

19:20.740 --> 19:22.880
The earth and everyone or everything in it

19:22.880 --> 19:24.120
is the Lord's, that's said again.

19:24.800 --> 19:26.640
The heavens belong to God.

19:28.080 --> 19:29.200
The firstborn of Israel,

19:29.320 --> 19:31.260
both men and animals belong to the Lord

19:31.260 --> 19:32.880
and need to be physically redeemed,

19:33.060 --> 19:35.300
which that's a whole sidetrack we could go into.

19:35.440 --> 19:36.900
We won't because of the time,

19:36.960 --> 19:39.640
but it's not relevant to us today,

19:39.740 --> 19:40.520
but it was for them.

19:42.880 --> 19:44.880
Interpretation of dreams belongs to the Lord.

19:46.120 --> 19:48.640
So surprise, surprise, Joseph was right.

19:50.580 --> 19:51.720
When Pharaoh said,

19:51.860 --> 19:53.640
hey, I heard you can interpret my dream

19:53.640 --> 19:55.900
and he said, I can't.

19:56.320 --> 19:57.840
But I know one who can.

19:59.200 --> 20:02.120
God reserves interpretation of dreams

20:03.080 --> 20:04.020
for himself.

20:04.820 --> 20:06.320
The Israelites belong to the Lord.

20:06.460 --> 20:08.080
The secret things belong to the Lord.

20:08.420 --> 20:10.500
Wisdom, power, counsel, understanding

20:10.500 --> 20:11.900
belong to the Lord.

20:12.240 --> 20:14.560
Strength, victory, the deceiver belongs

20:14.560 --> 20:15.640
to God.

20:16.180 --> 20:18.220
Eternal praise belongs to the Lord.

20:19.620 --> 20:21.940
Dominion and awe belong to the Lord.

20:22.080 --> 20:23.800
The day of vengeance belongs to the Lord.

20:23.940 --> 20:25.420
The Levites belong to the Lord.

20:25.560 --> 20:27.860
The kings of the earth, the shields of the earth,

20:28.300 --> 20:30.000
which that's what kings are supposed to be,

20:30.340 --> 20:32.300
shields for the earth

20:32.300 --> 20:34.100
against the stuff that's evil,

20:34.500 --> 20:35.660
they all belong to the Lord.

20:36.340 --> 20:38.160
The mountain peaks belong to God.

20:39.920 --> 20:40.980
It's just crazy.

20:41.420 --> 20:42.860
Every living soul belongs to God.

20:42.860 --> 20:45.020
The words Jesus spoke belong to the Father.

20:45.240 --> 20:47.620
Salvation, glory, and power belong to God.

20:48.320 --> 20:48.860
And guess what?

20:52.080 --> 20:54.200
The tithe belongs to God.

20:55.140 --> 20:56.260
Let me show it to you.

20:58.100 --> 20:59.920
And all the tithe of the land,

21:00.060 --> 21:02.100
whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree,

21:02.240 --> 21:03.140
is the Lord's.

21:03.840 --> 21:05.560
It is holy to the Lord.

21:05.700 --> 21:08.320
Going back again to, he calls this holy

21:08.320 --> 21:09.180
over and over and over.

21:09.620 --> 21:12.760
If a man wants it all to redeem any of his tithes,

21:12.760 --> 21:14.500
he has to add one fifth to it.

21:14.620 --> 21:15.960
I'll come back to that just in a second.

21:16.700 --> 21:18.540
And concerning the tithe of the herd of the flock,

21:19.040 --> 21:20.660
of whatever passes under the rod,

21:20.880 --> 21:22.760
the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord.

21:23.860 --> 21:26.440
So here is, go to the verse 32 first.

21:27.320 --> 21:29.020
What do we tithe on? Net or gross?

21:30.800 --> 21:32.740
We're going to talk about that more in the future,

21:32.840 --> 21:35.240
but here is a scripture that gives us an idea.

21:36.920 --> 21:38.700
For them back there, of course,

21:38.900 --> 21:40.220
the land was given to them.

21:40.840 --> 21:43.300
They didn't have payments on the land, anything like that.

21:43.460 --> 21:45.400
But the way God figured the tithe back there

21:45.400 --> 21:46.360
is every tenth animal.

21:47.120 --> 21:48.000
That one's mine.

21:48.840 --> 21:49.780
That one's mine.

21:52.480 --> 21:53.380
That's how he did it.

21:54.300 --> 21:58.220
That would be tithing on the...

21:58.840 --> 21:59.260
gross.

22:03.840 --> 22:06.700
Now some say, well, there can be a net thing involved there,

22:06.720 --> 22:08.320
because what if some of the animals died

22:08.320 --> 22:10.600
before they got to the point of encountering them?

22:11.160 --> 22:12.120
Well, that's true.

22:13.260 --> 22:15.200
So I just wanted to point it out and make you think,

22:16.180 --> 22:17.100
we'll come back to it.

22:17.420 --> 22:18.640
And I'll go back to verse 31.

22:18.780 --> 22:20.780
We won't come back to it today, but we will come back to it.

22:21.240 --> 22:24.120
If a man wants to at all redeem any of his tithes,

22:24.160 --> 22:27.060
he has to add 20% to it, to the tithe.

22:27.440 --> 22:29.700
So if your tithe is $100 and you want to redeem it,

22:31.320 --> 22:33.660
when you do give it, you have to add 20% to it,

22:33.680 --> 22:34.420
so now it's $120.

22:35.340 --> 22:37.680
That was for them, not for us, but that was for them.

22:37.680 --> 22:40.000
It's in the scripture of the tithe is the Lord's,

22:40.000 --> 22:42.540
and that particular phrase hasn't changed.

22:43.580 --> 22:45.180
You say, what do you mean redeem it?

22:45.740 --> 22:47.120
We got the house payment this week.

22:47.220 --> 22:48.140
We're supposed to be tithing.

22:48.240 --> 22:49.960
Let's hold on to the tithe for this week.

22:50.040 --> 22:50.680
Make the house payment.

22:50.840 --> 22:52.500
We'll tithe two, three weeks down the road.

22:52.620 --> 22:53.480
You redeemed your tithe.

22:55.120 --> 22:56.120
You pulled it back.

22:57.380 --> 22:59.360
God says, well, now you've got to add 20% to that,

22:59.400 --> 23:01.880
because tithe is supposed to be first, not your house payment.

23:03.380 --> 23:04.040
Budget better.

23:07.860 --> 23:10.880
I'm just saying, that's how they operated.

23:11.660 --> 23:12.420
Let's go on.

23:13.900 --> 23:16.880
He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad.

23:17.040 --> 23:20.160
Now he's talking about the, remember, the tenth one,

23:20.320 --> 23:23.600
the tenth animal, the tenth whatever that passes under the rod.

23:23.720 --> 23:26.480
They're counting them one, two, three, tenth one is God's.

23:27.060 --> 23:28.960
You don't inquire whether it's good or bad,

23:29.020 --> 23:30.320
nor shall he exchange it.

23:31.640 --> 23:34.600
Oh man, the best one in the whole herd

23:34.600 --> 23:36.420
ended up being the tenth one.

23:37.280 --> 23:38.820
Switch it out for number nine.

23:38.960 --> 23:39.640
That one was a run.

23:41.360 --> 23:42.320
Says you can't do that.

23:43.000 --> 23:44.000
Can't exchange it.

23:44.080 --> 23:47.060
If you exchange it, then number nine and number ten

23:47.760 --> 23:48.760
shall be holy.

23:49.340 --> 23:50.680
You cannot redeem it.

23:50.760 --> 23:51.500
You cannot switch.

23:51.800 --> 23:52.900
You cannot do these things.

23:53.760 --> 23:55.840
That was rules for them.

23:56.600 --> 23:59.600
I think it's probably still good to listen to some of it,

23:59.600 --> 24:00.800
but it's not law to us.

24:00.940 --> 24:01.900
We're under a different covenant,

24:01.900 --> 24:04.300
but it was in that section of Scripture.

24:05.100 --> 24:06.980
So the tithe obviously belongs to God.

24:07.340 --> 24:08.960
Paul brought it up in the New Testament.

24:09.200 --> 24:10.020
We looked at that already.

24:11.340 --> 24:12.480
It's a holy thing.

24:13.200 --> 24:16.480
So we have to pay attention to how we handle it.

24:17.200 --> 24:18.800
So back to those four points.

24:19.040 --> 24:19.940
Let's hit number four.

24:21.420 --> 24:23.820
Tithing provides a way that opens an avenue

24:23.820 --> 24:26.980
of blessing and prosperity in every way.

24:28.240 --> 24:29.140
Every way.

24:29.140 --> 24:30.480
So the principle of,

24:31.600 --> 24:33.620
okay, let's say that I'm a tithe there.

24:33.680 --> 24:34.600
How does that benefit me?

24:35.180 --> 24:36.400
We're going to talk about that.

24:38.380 --> 24:41.020
The thing we have to remember about God,

24:41.220 --> 24:42.680
as Cindy was 100% correct,

24:42.860 --> 24:44.080
he doesn't need it.

24:45.200 --> 24:47.700
He will not go bankrupt without it.

24:49.680 --> 24:52.140
It's a whole bigger thing than that.

24:52.560 --> 24:54.120
And it has to do with us.

24:55.560 --> 24:57.700
Not, well, God needs this.

24:57.700 --> 25:00.260
No, that's not it. It's all about us.

25:00.900 --> 25:06.060
Any time we obey, blessing is attached to that.

25:07.000 --> 25:08.740
Right? Isn't that what Scripture says?

25:09.900 --> 25:12.860
So this part is very misunderstood and skewed.

25:13.020 --> 25:14.840
So we need to talk about this a little bit

25:14.840 --> 25:15.780
before we get into it.

25:16.260 --> 25:17.640
What motivates us to tithe?

25:18.180 --> 25:20.660
Do we give because God asked for us to do it?

25:20.760 --> 25:22.860
Or do we give because we want to prosper?

25:24.520 --> 25:25.520
Both are correct.

25:27.240 --> 25:29.480
But we have to look at motives here

25:29.480 --> 25:30.940
before we dig too much deeper.

25:31.620 --> 25:35.680
They're both correct, but there's an attitude check

25:35.680 --> 25:37.520
that needs to take place here.

25:39.800 --> 25:41.460
God wants us to give.

25:41.840 --> 25:43.440
Why does God want us to give?

25:43.860 --> 25:44.900
Those four reasons.

25:46.920 --> 25:49.180
Number one through three

25:50.260 --> 25:52.000
needs to be in place

25:52.940 --> 25:55.420
before we start looking for

25:55.420 --> 25:57.200
and believing for number four.

26:01.160 --> 26:03.800
It's actually his, not mine,

26:04.220 --> 26:05.520
so I need to return it to him.

26:06.700 --> 26:08.460
It's what he wants to use

26:08.460 --> 26:10.760
to help the human race on earth.

26:11.380 --> 26:13.900
And it's designed to test our hearts.

26:15.260 --> 26:18.300
We need to look at those first

26:20.260 --> 26:22.100
before number four.

26:23.900 --> 26:25.960
The reason for it is right there.

26:27.680 --> 26:29.460
If you would never receive anything

26:29.460 --> 26:30.540
forgiving to the kingdom,

26:31.500 --> 26:32.640
would you give it anyway?

26:34.560 --> 26:36.500
And on top of that, would you give cheerfully?

26:38.580 --> 26:40.080
You know you're never going to get

26:40.080 --> 26:41.100
anything back from this,

26:42.260 --> 26:43.300
but you're going to give it.

26:44.520 --> 26:45.960
What is our first concern?

26:46.540 --> 26:47.820
Pleasing God and what he wants?

26:48.620 --> 26:50.240
Or taking care of ourselves

26:50.240 --> 26:51.100
and pleasing ourselves.

26:52.360 --> 26:53.520
That's why I say

26:54.240 --> 26:56.180
the first three have to be

26:56.180 --> 26:57.760
the first things we look at

26:58.520 --> 27:00.120
and that has really

27:00.120 --> 27:01.820
because of tele-evangelists

27:01.820 --> 27:02.860
and all that kind of stuff,

27:03.040 --> 27:04.800
that has really gotten skewed

27:04.800 --> 27:06.560
because the first three

27:06.560 --> 27:08.100
usually are not mentioned

27:08.100 --> 27:10.080
when you're trying to raise money for TV.

27:11.780 --> 27:13.180
Number four is the one

27:13.180 --> 27:14.060
that's always mentioned

27:14.060 --> 27:15.920
and it has turned the body of Christ

27:15.920 --> 27:17.820
either turned him off to where,

27:17.820 --> 27:19.920
I don't believe any of that stuff.

27:20.120 --> 27:20.620
That ain't true.

27:21.200 --> 27:22.580
Or it's turned him green.

27:24.860 --> 27:26.220
It's all about me giving

27:26.220 --> 27:27.120
so I can get.

27:28.620 --> 27:30.080
No, actually we give

27:30.080 --> 27:31.960
because number one, it's not mine.

27:32.220 --> 27:33.700
I'm just returning to him. What's his?

27:34.860 --> 27:36.440
Number two, this is

27:37.060 --> 27:38.260
his way of supplying

27:38.260 --> 27:39.960
for what he wants to do in this earth.

27:40.600 --> 27:42.480
And number three, he actually wants to know

27:42.480 --> 27:43.580
what's going on in our hearts.

27:44.540 --> 27:44.760
Amen.

27:44.760 --> 27:48.060
And if those three all come up clean,

27:48.640 --> 27:49.880
then number four, yeah,

27:50.000 --> 27:52.060
let's look at that because it's important.

27:53.680 --> 27:55.000
So a couple of

27:55.000 --> 27:56.680
principles out of Philippians.

27:59.060 --> 28:00.240
Notice something here.

28:03.060 --> 28:05.020
I rejoice greatly in the Lord

28:05.020 --> 28:07.100
that at last you had renewed your concern

28:07.100 --> 28:08.940
for me. Indeed, you have been concerned

28:08.940 --> 28:11.400
but you had no opportunity

28:11.400 --> 28:13.300
to show it. I am not saying this

28:13.300 --> 28:14.360
because I am in need.

28:14.740 --> 28:17.700
He's talking about money, he's going to make it real plain now in a second.

28:18.260 --> 28:19.100
For I have learned

28:19.100 --> 28:21.180
to be content in whatever

28:21.180 --> 28:23.340
the circumstances. We'll come back to that.

28:23.800 --> 28:25.640
I know what it is to be in need

28:25.640 --> 28:27.360
and I know what it is to have plenty.

28:28.380 --> 28:29.300
I have learned

28:29.300 --> 28:31.100
the secret of being content

28:31.100 --> 28:32.880
in any and every situation,

28:33.320 --> 28:34.540
whether well fed

28:35.020 --> 28:35.900
or hungry.

28:37.040 --> 28:39.020
So he's not kidding here when he says I know

28:39.020 --> 28:40.180
what it's like to be in need.

28:40.180 --> 28:42.340
He didn't have enough money to buy food.

28:43.520 --> 28:44.840
He was going hungry.

28:46.120 --> 28:47.740
Whether living in plenty

28:47.740 --> 28:48.740
or in want.

28:50.080 --> 28:51.840
Notice the next scripture

28:51.840 --> 28:54.320
that everybody quotes but never

28:54.320 --> 28:55.740
quotes the context.

28:58.780 --> 29:00.160
I can do all things

29:00.160 --> 29:01.580
through Christ who strengthens me.

29:01.720 --> 29:02.940
Woo hoo, let's agree in prayer.

29:03.120 --> 29:06.280
It actually has to do

29:06.280 --> 29:06.720
with

29:08.180 --> 29:09.240
abounding or based.

29:09.820 --> 29:11.220
Having plenty or lack.

29:12.880 --> 29:14.600
He says I can deal with a lot.

29:15.180 --> 29:16.880
I can do it through Christ's strength

29:16.880 --> 29:19.020
and you do need strength to deal with a lot

29:19.020 --> 29:19.380
correctly.

29:20.560 --> 29:22.860
And I can go through want to the point

29:22.860 --> 29:23.680
I'm even hungry.

29:24.240 --> 29:25.780
I can do that through Christ's strength.

29:27.040 --> 29:28.660
But you never noticed that before.

29:29.620 --> 29:30.660
That's the context.

29:30.960 --> 29:32.440
So let's read on verse 14.

29:33.520 --> 29:34.300
Yet it was good

29:34.300 --> 29:36.240
for you to share in my troubles

29:36.240 --> 29:37.780
moreover as you

29:38.580 --> 29:39.480
Philippians know

29:40.260 --> 29:41.940
in the early days of your acquaintance

29:41.940 --> 29:44.020
with the gospel when I set out from Macedonia

29:44.020 --> 29:46.500
so he's reminding them of a missionary trip he took.

29:47.160 --> 29:48.320
Not one church

29:48.320 --> 29:50.240
shared with me in the matter

29:50.240 --> 29:51.460
of giving and receiving

29:52.940 --> 29:53.860
except you.

29:55.840 --> 29:58.100
For when I was in Thessalonica

29:58.940 --> 30:00.380
you sent me aid

30:00.380 --> 30:02.140
again and again

30:02.140 --> 30:04.060
when I was in need.

30:05.420 --> 30:08.380
So the Philippians were the only ones

30:08.380 --> 30:09.960
who supported Paul's missionary trips.

30:10.880 --> 30:12.000
That's interesting.

30:13.160 --> 30:14.220
Go back to this verse.

30:16.280 --> 30:18.380
The key to prosperity

30:19.780 --> 30:21.420
is locked up in there.

30:22.220 --> 30:23.060
Verse 11.

30:24.880 --> 30:26.020
I've learned

30:26.020 --> 30:27.440
whatever it is

30:29.180 --> 30:30.760
I'm going to be content

30:32.700 --> 30:33.620
verse 12

30:33.620 --> 30:34.440
midway through

30:34.440 --> 30:36.200
I have learned the secret

30:36.200 --> 30:38.540
of being content in any and every situation.

30:42.610 --> 30:44.830
I was talking about it with somebody

30:44.830 --> 30:45.870
for you this morning.

30:48.870 --> 30:49.570
You know

30:51.470 --> 30:52.530
we can be

30:52.530 --> 30:54.790
given a million dollars a year

30:56.070 --> 30:57.870
and find a way to spend it

30:59.830 --> 31:01.390
and still not be happy.

31:04.900 --> 31:06.840
Or we can just be scraping by

31:07.720 --> 31:09.060
and still not be happy.

31:10.060 --> 31:11.220
And we got to find a way

31:11.220 --> 31:12.580
to get more money. We got to get a job.

31:12.740 --> 31:13.720
We got to get raised. We got to go.

31:14.480 --> 31:15.220
Okay, well

31:17.540 --> 31:18.500
the key

31:21.580 --> 31:22.540
to prospering

31:23.500 --> 31:24.840
is learning how

31:24.840 --> 31:26.440
to be content.

31:27.220 --> 31:28.740
Now that doesn't mean we're not

31:29.380 --> 31:30.340
looking to

31:30.340 --> 31:32.420
move forward in our business

31:32.420 --> 31:33.980
or move forward in our company.

31:34.620 --> 31:35.480
We're not looking for

31:36.320 --> 31:38.820
wage increases thing. It's not saying that.

31:39.300 --> 31:40.620
What is your attitude

31:41.700 --> 31:43.200
while the process

31:43.200 --> 31:44.060
is happening?

31:45.880 --> 31:47.240
That's the key.

31:49.220 --> 31:50.800
If all it is

31:50.800 --> 31:52.500
is on one hand, well I don't have enough,

31:52.500 --> 31:54.460
so we gripe and complain and we moan

31:54.460 --> 31:55.400
and murmur.

31:57.640 --> 31:58.560
God doesn't

31:58.560 --> 31:59.040
honor that.

31:59.980 --> 32:01.220
Or from the other hand,

32:01.600 --> 32:03.060
we're just tooting our horn because

32:03.060 --> 32:05.420
we're doing so good and life is so great

32:05.420 --> 32:05.740
and

32:06.440 --> 32:08.520
knock on wood. You got to be doing something right.

32:09.360 --> 32:11.340
Well that's pride. God don't want that either.

32:13.320 --> 32:14.960
But in both situations

32:14.960 --> 32:16.160
to be able to go

32:17.220 --> 32:18.940
you know there's an old saying

32:18.940 --> 32:20.860
my mother was the first one I heard it from

32:22.040 --> 32:23.320
this too shall pass.

32:24.680 --> 32:25.640
Remember that old saying?

32:28.890 --> 32:29.530
To be

32:29.530 --> 32:30.590
able to just go

32:30.590 --> 32:32.990
I trust God. I'm going to do what I can do

32:32.990 --> 32:34.030
and he's going to do the rest.

32:34.950 --> 32:35.830
This will pass.

32:37.950 --> 32:39.150
Is very necessary

32:39.150 --> 32:39.970
when we're short.

32:40.970 --> 32:43.190
It's not so much when we've got extra

32:43.190 --> 32:44.130
but when we're short.

32:44.850 --> 32:47.050
But here's the point I made to someone in the four year.

32:48.430 --> 32:49.310
True prosperity

32:49.310 --> 32:51.170
comes by learning how to live in your means.

32:55.540 --> 32:57.460
True prosperity is not having so much

32:57.460 --> 32:59.580
money you never have to think about what you spend it on.

32:59.700 --> 33:00.720
That is not true prosperity.

33:03.680 --> 33:05.340
True prosperity is learning

33:05.340 --> 33:07.820
how to... okay, here's what we got.

33:08.400 --> 33:09.440
We're going to decide

33:09.440 --> 33:11.600
to spend it accordingly because if you've got

33:11.600 --> 33:12.120
this much

33:12.780 --> 33:15.340
you're going to spend on bigger things.

33:16.320 --> 33:17.600
Because you've got this much.

33:18.140 --> 33:19.480
If you've got this much

33:19.480 --> 33:20.700
you're going to spend on little things.

33:21.700 --> 33:22.800
Because you've got this much.

33:24.520 --> 33:25.560
Does that make any sense?

33:26.280 --> 33:28.320
Can you be happy in both places?

33:30.460 --> 33:31.480
Can you be content?

33:33.200 --> 33:34.320
Well, this year we're only

33:34.320 --> 33:36.080
spending 50 bucks

33:36.080 --> 33:36.940
for Christmas.

33:42.280 --> 33:43.860
Well, that's not a good response.

33:47.640 --> 33:48.500
This year

33:49.180 --> 33:51.560
got a big bonus from work. We can spend a lot.

33:55.740 --> 33:56.400
Everybody's happy.

33:57.640 --> 33:58.900
See, that's a heart problem.

34:00.600 --> 34:02.080
Something's broken inside

34:02.720 --> 34:04.020
because we have to learn

34:04.020 --> 34:05.100
how to be content

34:05.860 --> 34:07.460
no matter what the situation.

34:09.720 --> 34:11.240
You say, well, what are some of the things

34:11.240 --> 34:12.280
we can do to learn that?

34:12.860 --> 34:14.340
Well, Jesus gave us an idea.

34:17.360 --> 34:18.220
Let's go to Jesus.

34:19.500 --> 34:20.680
Do not stare up for yourself

34:20.680 --> 34:22.340
treasures on earth where moth and rust

34:22.340 --> 34:24.020
destroy and thieves break in and steal.

34:25.520 --> 34:26.600
But stare up for yourself

34:26.600 --> 34:28.200
treasures in heaven where moth and rust

34:28.200 --> 34:30.180
do not destroy and where thieves do not break in

34:30.180 --> 34:32.240
and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart

34:32.240 --> 34:32.820
will be also.

34:34.100 --> 34:36.180
He says, love God with all your heart, soul, mind

34:36.180 --> 34:37.640
and strength. This is the first commandment.

34:38.720 --> 34:40.020
Well, I don't know how to do that.

34:40.540 --> 34:42.200
Start making what he wants, your

34:42.200 --> 34:44.340
treasure, and your heart will go there.

34:48.280 --> 34:50.020
Because what we treasure

34:50.600 --> 34:52.100
is what we hold dear

34:52.100 --> 34:52.780
in our heart.

34:54.440 --> 34:56.240
Now, usually we work that principle

34:56.240 --> 34:56.700
in reverse.

34:57.960 --> 35:00.460
I like that, so I'm going to invest

35:00.460 --> 35:02.260
in that. Well, see it was already in

35:02.260 --> 35:03.580
your heart, so now you went there.

35:04.600 --> 35:05.940
What about this over here?

35:06.480 --> 35:08.160
I don't like that, but God

35:08.160 --> 35:10.100
wants me to do that, get involved

35:10.100 --> 35:11.820
with that. How are you going to get your heart

35:11.820 --> 35:14.080
to go there? One of the ways is

35:14.080 --> 35:14.980
put your treasure there.

35:22.260 --> 35:23.600
I think these poor people

35:23.600 --> 35:24.600
should just get a job.

35:27.500 --> 35:29.280
Yeah, but God wants you to help take care of them.

35:29.440 --> 35:31.520
Well, I'll tell them what they need to do.

35:32.160 --> 35:33.100
Well, your heart's not there.

35:34.300 --> 35:35.320
Well, I don't know. I just

35:35.320 --> 35:36.920
think they need to get out and do something.

35:37.420 --> 35:39.060
Well, you might not be wrong, but your heart's wrong.

35:39.720 --> 35:40.480
I mean, you're kind of critical.

35:41.020 --> 35:41.840
A little judgmental there.

35:42.820 --> 35:44.120
How are you going to get your heart to change?

35:45.960 --> 35:46.920
Find some poor people

35:46.920 --> 35:49.120
and put your treasure there. Give them some money.

35:50.720 --> 35:51.520
Give them something

35:51.520 --> 35:52.940
that they need.

35:54.220 --> 35:55.580
Something you're not using anymore.

35:57.080 --> 35:58.400
Well, I'm not using it,

35:58.440 --> 35:59.500
but my mother gave it to me.

35:59.640 --> 36:00.660
We'll give it to the poor person.

36:01.320 --> 36:02.500
Why would I give it to them?

36:02.920 --> 36:05.720
They need to go by their own. No, we're trying to change

36:05.720 --> 36:06.800
your heart

36:08.340 --> 36:09.500
by causing you

36:09.500 --> 36:11.400
to treasure something right now

36:11.400 --> 36:12.700
you don't treasure.

36:13.800 --> 36:15.360
And God wants us

36:15.360 --> 36:17.480
to help take care

36:17.480 --> 36:18.300
of the needy.

36:19.240 --> 36:21.140
In fact, James says, you've got no righteousness

36:21.140 --> 36:23.780
if you say, oh, let me pray for you

36:23.780 --> 36:25.820
and we'll just pray and believe God does something in your life.

36:25.840 --> 36:27.200
He said, you need to give them something.

36:28.020 --> 36:28.940
Is that what James said?

36:30.040 --> 36:31.820
So if we want our heart

36:31.820 --> 36:33.760
to go someplace, we make

36:33.760 --> 36:35.320
it go there by

36:35.320 --> 36:36.860
putting treasure there.

36:38.460 --> 36:40.020
If you want your heart

36:40.020 --> 36:42.680
to be vested in the kingdom of God,

36:43.500 --> 36:44.340
put some

36:44.340 --> 36:46.520
treasure into the kingdom of God

36:46.520 --> 36:47.740
and your heart

36:47.740 --> 36:48.920
will go there.

36:51.600 --> 36:52.660
If you want

36:52.660 --> 36:54.180
your heart to be more

36:55.580 --> 36:57.240
invested in church,

36:58.040 --> 36:58.700
put some

36:58.700 --> 37:00.340
treasure in the church.

37:02.280 --> 37:03.040
Time,

37:03.360 --> 37:04.560
talent, finances

37:05.800 --> 37:06.860
your heart

37:06.860 --> 37:07.580
will go there.

37:08.600 --> 37:10.460
It is a principle Jesus laid out

37:10.460 --> 37:12.900
for where your treasure

37:12.900 --> 37:13.820
is

37:14.660 --> 37:15.620
your heart.

37:15.920 --> 37:17.760
It's going to be there also.

37:20.060 --> 37:21.380
That's where Paul

37:21.380 --> 37:22.220
is coming from

37:24.220 --> 37:25.280
when he says

37:26.260 --> 37:28.300
I'm testing your love for God

37:28.300 --> 37:29.260
by your giving.

37:30.720 --> 37:32.040
You don't give to God,

37:32.760 --> 37:33.980
your heart's not there.

37:35.440 --> 37:37.020
Oh, I love God with all my heart.

37:37.580 --> 37:38.240
How much are you giving?

37:39.160 --> 37:40.840
How much treasure are you putting into

37:40.840 --> 37:42.200
what he asked you to put it into?

37:44.060 --> 37:45.760
Oh, that sucks, don't I?

37:46.160 --> 37:50.740
That sucks, don't I?

37:50.740 --> 37:50.780
That sucks, don't I?

37:50.780 --> 37:51.360
That sucks, don't I?

37:51.360 --> 37:52.940
I'm telling you, I can either stand up here

37:52.940 --> 37:54.520
and make you feel good and send you home deceived

37:55.580 --> 37:57.020
or I can tell you what the Bible says

37:57.020 --> 37:58.380
and we can all go, oh man,

37:59.940 --> 38:00.580
really, ouch.

38:03.380 --> 38:04.740
So that's what Jesus said

38:04.740 --> 38:06.700
where your treasure is, your heart be also

38:06.700 --> 38:08.980
then he goes on and says something else

38:08.980 --> 38:11.500
that's kind of profound. Same, it's the next verse.

38:12.140 --> 38:13.420
The eye is the lamp of the body.

38:14.080 --> 38:15.360
If your eyes are good, your whole body

38:15.360 --> 38:16.800
will be full of light. If your eyes are bad,

38:16.880 --> 38:18.140
your whole body will be full of darkness.

38:18.140 --> 38:19.760
If then the light within you is darkness,

38:19.980 --> 38:21.340
how great is that darkness?

38:21.780 --> 38:23.660
He is still talking about

38:23.660 --> 38:26.140
finances and where we're putting them.

38:28.200 --> 38:29.280
Notice this.

38:30.560 --> 38:32.420
He's talking about finances,

38:32.840 --> 38:34.080
where we're putting them.

38:34.680 --> 38:36.240
Then he says, here is

38:36.240 --> 38:38.180
the condition of your inner man.

38:42.650 --> 38:43.550
Next verse.

38:44.310 --> 38:45.730
No one can serve two masters.

38:46.150 --> 38:47.850
Either he will love one and hate the other

38:47.850 --> 38:49.850
or he's going to be devoted to one to spies the other.

38:50.250 --> 38:51.870
I'm still talking about God

38:51.870 --> 38:52.330
and money.

38:53.910 --> 38:55.890
You can't serve God and money.

38:57.650 --> 38:59.150
You're going to have to choose

38:59.750 --> 39:00.650
who you serve.

39:02.390 --> 39:04.190
Depending upon who we choose

39:04.190 --> 39:06.070
will determine

39:06.070 --> 39:08.770
our inward spiritual condition.

39:09.770 --> 39:11.270
Whether we're full of light

39:11.270 --> 39:12.850
or whether we're full of darkness.

39:19.450 --> 39:20.870
It's in context.

39:21.430 --> 39:22.790
Jesus said this.

39:25.810 --> 39:26.650
Wow.

39:27.890 --> 39:29.710
So if we can't

39:29.710 --> 39:30.950
give him what's his,

39:31.170 --> 39:32.710
if we can't be financially involved

39:32.710 --> 39:34.290
put our treasure into things

39:35.330 --> 39:37.070
our eye is

39:37.070 --> 39:38.770
the lamp of the body.

39:38.990 --> 39:40.770
We're looking at money

39:40.770 --> 39:42.310
the wrong way.

39:46.400 --> 39:47.740
Well, I can't

39:48.420 --> 39:49.080
give this.

39:49.080 --> 39:51.080
I thought what Cindy said was really good.

39:51.140 --> 39:52.980
Took her a number of years to get to the point

39:52.980 --> 39:54.820
where she could give the full tithe

39:54.820 --> 39:56.840
because her faith was growing. That's okay.

39:56.940 --> 39:58.260
We talked about that. That's okay.

39:59.480 --> 40:00.860
But she looked at the money

40:00.860 --> 40:02.460
and said I've got to get to the point

40:03.480 --> 40:05.100
I can give the 10%.

40:06.840 --> 40:08.880
She didn't look at the money and go

40:10.580 --> 40:12.060
yeah, hell's going to freeze over

40:12.060 --> 40:13.380
before I give that to the church.

40:17.740 --> 40:19.640
You say, oh, it's just a simple decision.

40:19.840 --> 40:21.280
It's a simple decision that

40:21.280 --> 40:22.740
determines your spiritual

40:23.540 --> 40:24.100
inside.

40:26.860 --> 40:27.420
Who?

40:29.040 --> 40:30.500
Whether we're full of light

40:31.540 --> 40:32.880
whether we're full of

40:32.880 --> 40:33.300
darkness.

40:35.140 --> 40:36.100
Okay, now.

40:36.620 --> 40:37.380
Okay, so we have

40:37.380 --> 40:40.520
a rule here

40:40.520 --> 40:42.480
for people who are ministering

40:42.480 --> 40:43.360
in the church have

40:43.360 --> 40:44.180
to be tithers.

40:45.720 --> 40:47.440
Now I'm going to give you a perfect example

40:47.440 --> 40:47.960
of why.

40:49.620 --> 40:51.240
So we've got a prayer line

40:51.240 --> 40:51.520
here

40:53.060 --> 40:54.520
and we've got someone

40:55.120 --> 40:57.260
who is looking at their money, like Jesus

40:57.260 --> 40:59.140
just talked about and said, nah, hell's

40:59.140 --> 41:00.420
going to freeze over before I give that.

41:01.280 --> 41:02.900
But we're going to let them

41:02.900 --> 41:04.980
who are now have considerable

41:04.980 --> 41:07.220
darkness in them according to that verse

41:07.900 --> 41:09.240
go down this prayer

41:09.240 --> 41:10.900
line and lay hands on you.

41:14.560 --> 41:15.920
You know what that's going to give

41:15.920 --> 41:16.340
to you?

41:17.500 --> 41:18.320
Their darkness.

41:24.740 --> 41:25.860
We can't do that.

41:28.000 --> 41:29.600
Pastor Bern, you're too legalistic.

41:29.920 --> 41:31.580
No, actually I care about people enough

41:31.580 --> 41:33.400
to say what's on you I don't want

41:33.400 --> 41:33.860
on them.

41:35.980 --> 41:37.600
You got to deal with your own wagon

41:37.600 --> 41:39.160
first before you start unloading

41:39.160 --> 41:39.560
into them.

41:44.310 --> 41:45.310
That's the concept.

41:46.490 --> 41:47.610
Because, see, you're serving

41:47.610 --> 41:48.330
the wrong master.

41:50.870 --> 41:53.170
You don't love God enough

41:53.170 --> 41:54.390
to obey him.

41:55.830 --> 41:57.570
But you're going to minister

41:57.570 --> 41:59.570
for him what you have

41:59.570 --> 42:01.610
freely received. Well, what have

42:01.610 --> 42:02.650
you freely received?

42:03.650 --> 42:05.170
Jesus told us what we freely

42:05.170 --> 42:07.070
received. Darkness.

42:11.710 --> 42:13.730
So in reality, you know what?

42:17.460 --> 42:17.860
Tithing

42:17.860 --> 42:18.980
affects how we minister.

42:25.360 --> 42:25.900
I know

42:25.900 --> 42:27.460
two are in agreement and the rest of you are thinking

42:27.460 --> 42:28.100
that's okay.

42:34.950 --> 42:35.690
Because, remember

42:36.410 --> 42:37.650
when we are ministering

42:37.650 --> 42:39.270
we're praying, we're speaking over people.

42:40.090 --> 42:41.490
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth

42:41.490 --> 42:43.070
speaks, well what if my heart's got darkness?

42:43.710 --> 42:44.330
What's coming out?

42:45.630 --> 42:47.470
My words of knowledge, my prophecies,

42:47.630 --> 42:49.050
all these things, what's coming, where's the

42:49.050 --> 42:51.330
source of that? Jesus already said

42:51.330 --> 42:52.890
you got darkness in you.

42:53.750 --> 42:55.410
You're not handling your money right.

42:56.010 --> 42:57.850
And the reason you're not handling it

42:57.850 --> 42:59.450
right is because you're looking

42:59.450 --> 43:00.870
at it the wrong way.

43:01.690 --> 43:03.210
The eye is determining

43:03.210 --> 43:03.750
this.

43:05.670 --> 43:06.850
Lust of the eye.

43:07.790 --> 43:09.190
Lust of the flesh.

43:09.650 --> 43:11.210
Pride of life. The big three.

43:12.950 --> 43:14.870
Jesus is dealing with the eye.

43:16.490 --> 43:17.410
Looking at it

43:17.410 --> 43:17.890
the wrong way.

43:20.450 --> 43:20.970
And

43:20.970 --> 43:22.330
I'm not saying that

43:22.330 --> 43:23.310
we shouldn't

43:23.890 --> 43:25.810
want to get ahead and so forth

43:25.810 --> 43:27.770
but we have to really be

43:27.770 --> 43:29.450
careful how we handle

43:31.030 --> 43:31.890
the tithe

43:31.890 --> 43:33.870
because it doesn't belong to us and God calls

43:33.870 --> 43:34.270
it holy.

43:36.250 --> 43:37.770
So we got to pay attention to that.

43:38.930 --> 43:39.450
So

43:40.410 --> 43:42.170
now let's give you some better news.

43:44.510 --> 43:45.470
Some of you are thinking

43:46.310 --> 43:46.750
man

43:48.050 --> 43:49.670
he's really loading us up this morning.

43:49.870 --> 43:51.350
Well let's go to something that

43:51.350 --> 43:53.150
is a little more palatable.

43:54.070 --> 43:56.110
Once we've done the first three

43:57.870 --> 43:59.330
and we've checked our attitude

43:59.330 --> 44:01.070
it's a continual growing process

44:01.070 --> 44:02.150
but once we've done that

44:02.930 --> 44:04.990
number four what does it do for us?

44:05.090 --> 44:06.130
Well here is the Old Testament

44:06.710 --> 44:08.410
here is what Cindy quoted

44:09.890 --> 44:11.490
bring all the tithes to the store

44:11.490 --> 44:13.110
house that there may be food in my house

44:13.110 --> 44:14.610
now this is Old Testament so

44:14.610 --> 44:17.330
it's a good principle splashes over into the new

44:17.330 --> 44:18.290
I'll show you that in a bit

44:20.010 --> 44:21.310
he's referring to

44:21.310 --> 44:22.590
remember we talked about

44:23.530 --> 44:25.230
how the Levites and the priests

44:25.230 --> 44:27.210
lived off the tithes and the tithes were

44:27.210 --> 44:29.590
brought in that's how the tabernacle

44:29.590 --> 44:30.610
and the temple worked

44:30.610 --> 44:32.390
that's what he's referring to here

44:32.390 --> 44:34.370
bring all the tithes into the store house

44:35.150 --> 44:36.890
that there may be food in my house

44:36.890 --> 44:38.150
remember we went over all that

44:38.790 --> 44:40.830
and try me now in this as the Lord

44:40.830 --> 44:50.750
If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing, there will not be room enough for you to receive it.

44:50.830 --> 44:53.590
I just want to point one thing out here before we move to the next verse.

44:55.590 --> 45:05.470
Says the Lord of hosts. Who is the Lord of hosts? This is important for where this is going. Who is the Lord of hosts?

45:05.470 --> 45:12.490
Jehovah Sabaulah. Jehovah, the God of covenant. Jehovah's Lord.

45:13.610 --> 45:20.970
Host is Sabaulah. It's the God of war, service, and the appointed time.

45:21.750 --> 45:28.610
Why would the God of war use that name talking about tithing?

45:29.870 --> 45:32.430
Hang on, you'll see it here in a bit.

45:33.490 --> 45:37.830
He says, check this out. He says, if you'll obey me, he says, you're going to benefit.

45:38.870 --> 45:42.410
I'm going to pour out such blessings on you. This is an Old Testament promise.

45:43.730 --> 45:46.310
You won't even be able to hang on to him.

45:47.410 --> 45:51.410
Storehouse in our days, the church opens the windows of heaven, pours out blessing.

45:52.050 --> 45:52.550
Next verse.

45:53.630 --> 46:00.150
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

46:00.150 --> 46:04.090
nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field.

46:05.130 --> 46:10.190
Says Jehovah Sabaulah, the Lord of hosts. He said it twice. Verse 10, verse 11.

46:11.230 --> 46:14.390
And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful end.

46:14.530 --> 46:22.030
Says the Lord of... the Lord of war, the God who's willing to go to war to serve us.

46:22.330 --> 46:26.110
Why did he say that three times? It's the beginning of verse 11.

46:26.110 --> 46:32.210
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes. Remember this covenant thing with Abraham and God?

46:32.390 --> 46:37.110
It's a great exchange. What is God's becomes Abraham's. What's Abraham's becomes God's.

46:37.930 --> 46:43.430
And God has to by covenant defend Abraham. Abraham by covenant defends God.

46:43.590 --> 46:45.270
Remember some of that stuff we talked about?

46:48.070 --> 46:52.950
The devourer is going to be stopped by whom?

46:54.790 --> 46:55.950
Jehovah Sabaulah.

46:57.750 --> 47:02.430
I will. Now he's talking covenant again, the thing we talked about with Abraham.

47:02.970 --> 47:11.790
I will rebuke. You don't have to rebuke the devourer if you're a tither. I will do it.

47:17.670 --> 47:25.190
He steps in on our behalf. And apparently it's not always pretty because the name he chose to represent himself

47:25.190 --> 47:30.110
was not Elohim, was not El Shaddai, was not any of these other Jehovah names.

47:30.430 --> 47:36.770
It was Jehovah Sabaulah. I am the God in covenant with you and I will go to war to serve you at the right time.

47:40.730 --> 47:46.030
So now something the Lord pointed out to me that I want you to see.

47:47.410 --> 47:49.830
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes.

47:49.830 --> 47:56.990
So he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit.

47:59.190 --> 48:03.810
For the ground we typically think of what brings us income.

48:05.970 --> 48:08.170
Oh, but it goes so much deeper than that.

48:10.090 --> 48:12.470
I am ground. This body is dirt.

48:14.390 --> 48:16.090
Mary is ground.

48:17.350 --> 48:23.250
And we produced fruit.

48:25.450 --> 48:26.030
Children.

48:28.270 --> 48:39.330
When the devourer comes after your children, because you're a tither, Jehovah Sabaulah will step in and say no.

48:44.900 --> 48:47.580
But see, you can't claim that if you're not a tither.

48:49.240 --> 48:51.300
That goes to tithers.

48:52.120 --> 48:55.580
The vine can also be, include children.

48:56.980 --> 49:04.860
The wife is referred to as a fruitful vine. It sounds 128, verse 3. Jesus is referred to as the vine in John 15.

49:05.020 --> 49:09.340
And he's God's son. So vine can also, it's something that reproduces, puts out there.

49:10.920 --> 49:12.600
So you have to catch this.

49:14.520 --> 49:19.220
Tithing in the old covenant, which we're in a better covenant.

49:20.500 --> 49:24.040
According to the book of Hebrews, we're in a better covenant.

49:24.780 --> 49:27.660
And it will grab some of these things and bring them forward.

49:28.480 --> 49:36.620
But specifically in Malachi, he pointed out, if you will be a tither, he says, test me on this.

49:36.620 --> 49:43.840
Not only will I open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you, you're going to abound.

49:44.800 --> 49:46.840
You're not going to lack, you're going to abound.

49:48.180 --> 49:56.400
But when the devourer comes against, not only your income, comes against your family,

49:57.900 --> 50:01.700
I will step in and deal with him.

50:04.840 --> 50:09.500
That's why he said, I'm the Lord of hosts, Jehovah's of both.

50:11.040 --> 50:14.980
He's stopping the destroyer from destroying.

50:23.860 --> 50:28.220
So now I'm going to go into some thoughts and then we're going to hit another scripture, get as far as we can before we're done.

50:30.680 --> 50:36.180
I expect my children by faith. Remember, everything comes by faith.

50:36.180 --> 50:39.520
You have to remember that. Everything comes by faith.

50:39.940 --> 50:45.780
I expect my children by faith because of the promise of tithing, that alone.

50:46.740 --> 50:58.240
I expect my children to be well, to be healthy, to be happy, to be provided for, to make heaven.

51:01.610 --> 51:07.430
And on and on the list can go. He said, oh, that's awful, arrogant to think that your family's going to have it that good.

51:07.710 --> 51:10.150
No, I'm just going by what he said. Test me on this.

51:11.630 --> 51:15.350
He said, check this out. You tithe. I'll do this for you.

51:20.300 --> 51:25.880
So when I look at my family, I am expecting absolutely the best.

51:26.100 --> 51:29.540
And anything that comes against them, that smacks them.

51:29.540 --> 51:35.560
There's a door up in some place. We got to close it because God says, you obey me, you follow me.

51:35.620 --> 51:38.140
He said, I'm going to just slap the devourer away.

51:38.340 --> 51:39.800
This isn't going to happen to you.

51:40.720 --> 51:42.820
So here's a New Testament version of that verse.

51:44.680 --> 51:48.400
Remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.

51:48.540 --> 51:50.720
Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

51:51.780 --> 51:58.520
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, but God loves a cheerful giver.

51:58.520 --> 52:04.900
So before we go off of that, verse number six, we determine the amount of our harvest.

52:06.760 --> 52:08.680
Did you see that?

52:11.060 --> 52:21.800
We determine if we're going to receive generously or sparingly by what we're willing to enter in the covenant with.

52:22.740 --> 52:27.240
And it's not just the tithe. This scripture is not talking just to the tithe.

52:27.400 --> 52:28.680
It's talking to all realms of giving.

52:30.200 --> 52:34.760
Verse number seven, ultimately everybody has to decide what they're going to give.

52:35.240 --> 52:39.120
Are they going to give tithes? Are they going to give tithes in the net? Are they going to give tithes in the gross?

52:40.360 --> 52:44.840
Are they going to give alms? Are they going to give offerings?

52:45.600 --> 52:47.700
There's number six. The point here is verse number seven.

52:48.900 --> 52:52.340
Are they going to grow to the point they can give it cheerfully?

52:55.750 --> 52:58.010
That's a whole level there, in and of itself.

52:58.730 --> 53:02.890
It's like, okay, fine, you want it? There it is. Hope you're happy because I'm not.

53:07.450 --> 53:10.610
That's not the point that God's trying to make.

53:11.250 --> 53:13.430
You need to grow some. There's a hard problem here.

53:14.390 --> 53:18.130
And the end result of doing it correctly.

53:19.470 --> 53:23.610
Don't sow a little and expect a lot back.

53:24.130 --> 53:27.410
What is the principle on that? A seed time in harvest, he's referring to.

53:27.570 --> 53:30.890
But in our relationship with God, what is he keying on here?

53:31.290 --> 53:32.350
It's called the exchange.

53:34.430 --> 53:35.710
It's called the covenant.

53:36.830 --> 53:39.430
You give a little bit of your life to God.

53:39.430 --> 53:44.570
Don't expect him to step in with huge, unbelievable miracles on your behalf.

53:45.450 --> 53:49.290
Because you sow sparingly, you receive sparingly.

53:50.510 --> 53:53.750
If you need big answers, you need big seed.

53:55.050 --> 53:57.230
And that just is the leading of the spirit.

53:57.630 --> 53:59.690
You know, it's not like that's a dollar amount.

53:59.970 --> 54:02.450
That's the leading of the spirit. We've talked about that already.

54:02.650 --> 54:06.250
It's not, well, if I give $10,000, no.

54:07.570 --> 54:11.070
Some people can give $10,000 and pull it out of their wallet.

54:11.350 --> 54:12.490
It means nothing to them.

54:13.910 --> 54:17.250
And other people pull out $10 and go...

54:18.730 --> 54:20.070
There goes gas money for this week.

54:20.970 --> 54:21.630
Who gave more?

54:23.970 --> 54:24.530
$10.

54:25.770 --> 54:30.190
That's what Jesus was doing when he was standing counting the offering.

54:31.690 --> 54:33.790
There's a spiritual thing for ministers to do.

54:35.490 --> 54:36.670
Jesus set the example.

54:37.990 --> 54:41.090
And he said, all the rich people came by and dropped in bags of money.

54:41.270 --> 54:45.090
And this widow comes by and drops in two denarii,

54:45.150 --> 54:47.110
compare them to pennies, put in two pennies,

54:47.190 --> 54:49.390
compared to bags of gold and silver.

54:50.150 --> 54:52.590
And Jesus said, you know what, she gave the most.

54:54.430 --> 54:56.110
She couldn't afford to give that.

54:56.650 --> 54:57.850
They can give it and don't miss it.

54:59.130 --> 55:00.770
So it's not a dollar amount.

55:00.770 --> 55:07.070
But we have to sew generously.

55:09.990 --> 55:12.690
And like, again, I'll refer back to what Cindy said.

55:13.110 --> 55:18.510
When she started, that first five bucks she sewed was giving generously.

55:21.490 --> 55:23.330
You know the first five you gave?

55:24.970 --> 55:27.830
Oh man, that's $5.

55:32.820 --> 55:35.780
It pulled on your generosity to give it.

55:36.040 --> 55:40.220
And then you grew and your faith increased and it went up.

55:41.120 --> 55:44.420
So real quickly here, what are some of what we can expect?

55:44.680 --> 55:46.160
Well, six, seven, we talked about that.

55:47.240 --> 55:50.740
And God is able to make all grace abound to you.

55:53.340 --> 55:57.280
So that in all things, I put in the numbers there.

55:57.280 --> 55:58.160
That wasn't in the scripture.

55:58.400 --> 55:59.540
Number one, two, three, five.

56:00.460 --> 56:03.140
All things, number three, at all times.

56:04.040 --> 56:06.520
Number four, having all that you need.

56:07.560 --> 56:10.600
Number five, you will abound in every good work.

56:14.780 --> 56:17.340
Remember, it's right behind.

56:18.980 --> 56:20.160
Watch how you sew.

56:22.000 --> 56:25.100
Because God is able.

56:26.160 --> 56:31.120
Doesn't mean he automatically will do those things.

56:35.560 --> 56:39.140
He is able to do those things.

56:40.260 --> 56:42.120
Well, what's the deciding factor?

56:43.540 --> 56:46.940
Previous verse, how we sewed.

56:49.980 --> 56:56.600
And God is able to make all grace abound to you.

56:58.520 --> 57:04.060
We are saved by grace through faith.

57:05.880 --> 57:08.460
Everything comes by faith.

57:10.100 --> 57:11.240
God is able.

57:13.260 --> 57:15.780
But you've got to believe him for it.

57:17.780 --> 57:19.980
And you've got to learn how to sew

57:19.980 --> 57:21.900
and have enough faith to sew.

57:22.820 --> 57:25.320
So you can reap all those things.

57:36.830 --> 57:39.170
All grace, not a little bit.

57:39.510 --> 57:41.970
All undeserved blessings, grace.

57:42.390 --> 57:43.650
Giving us what we don't deserve.

57:44.490 --> 57:45.590
Abound to you.

57:45.990 --> 57:47.250
Abound means to overflow.

57:47.570 --> 57:48.510
It's like Malachi said.

57:48.630 --> 57:49.670
He said, I'll pour out such a blessing.

57:49.850 --> 57:50.750
You won't be able to contain it.

57:50.770 --> 57:51.550
That's the word abound.

57:52.430 --> 57:54.590
It's so much, it's like it's...

57:54.590 --> 57:55.810
They're pouring your cup of coffee

57:56.570 --> 57:59.350
and they're talking and it's just running over and

58:00.410 --> 58:02.650
it's like you are now abounding in coffee.

58:03.670 --> 58:05.010
It's just running over.

58:05.770 --> 58:07.070
You've got more than you need.

58:07.950 --> 58:10.730
So that in all things, everything.

58:12.450 --> 58:15.530
Financial giving touches everything.

58:17.290 --> 58:20.570
All the time it touches everything.

58:23.250 --> 58:26.470
And what God wants is that you have all you need

58:26.470 --> 58:28.530
so that no matter what he asks you to do

58:28.530 --> 58:30.890
you've got the supply to take care of it.

58:31.070 --> 58:31.590
Just do it.

58:33.110 --> 58:35.230
Okay, I'm going to give you one point now

58:35.230 --> 58:37.330
and then I'm going to share a story and then we're done.

58:40.010 --> 58:42.630
According to how we sow and faith,

58:42.870 --> 58:45.810
faith comes by grace, grace comes, works with faith.

58:46.730 --> 58:48.410
God is able to do these things.

58:51.710 --> 58:56.130
If giving and believing opens that to us,

58:57.230 --> 59:02.370
a lack of giving and believing closes that to us.

59:04.210 --> 59:05.330
Catch that.

59:06.850 --> 59:08.530
He said, watch how you sow.

59:08.690 --> 59:10.570
If you sow sparingly, you're going to get sparingly.

59:10.670 --> 59:11.970
Well, what's a sparingly giver?

59:12.350 --> 59:14.890
Someone who's not really believing and engaging

59:14.890 --> 59:24.400
and the less we engage with what God's asking us to do,

59:24.400 --> 59:28.520
the less of those things he can do for us

59:28.520 --> 59:30.420
because covenant is an exchange.

59:31.660 --> 59:34.440
It's not an exchange of how much.

59:34.660 --> 59:37.480
It's an exchange of the willingness of our heart

59:37.480 --> 59:38.680
and obedience.

59:39.780 --> 59:42.660
And if we will obey an exchange,

59:43.760 --> 59:49.760
he wants all five active in our lives.

59:53.340 --> 59:55.000
Some of you've heard this before,

59:55.140 --> 59:56.540
but it ties directly into this.

59:59.000 --> 01:00:03.060
So now I'm going to get weepy, so just overlook it.

01:00:05.920 --> 01:00:08.820
It was 1988.

01:00:11.420 --> 01:00:14.420
Jess was nine or ten months old.

01:00:17.620 --> 01:00:19.320
And he's our youngest biological.

01:00:21.080 --> 01:00:22.280
He was playing the drums this morning.

01:00:26.020 --> 01:00:28.160
He got sick. He wasn't doing well.

01:00:29.260 --> 01:00:30.420
I took him to the doctor.

01:00:31.240 --> 01:00:32.940
We were doing daycare at that point,

01:00:33.020 --> 01:00:35.680
so Mary had to stay at home with the kids.

01:00:36.300 --> 01:00:37.320
I took him to the doctor.

01:00:38.000 --> 01:00:39.320
The doctor looked at him,

01:00:41.120 --> 01:00:43.280
kind of got a funny look in his face, looked at him again.

01:00:43.280 --> 01:00:44.640
He said, hang on to him for a second.

01:00:44.780 --> 01:00:45.460
He went to the back room.

01:00:45.560 --> 01:00:47.100
I heard him talking on the telephone to somebody.

01:00:47.660 --> 01:00:48.800
He came back out.

01:00:48.960 --> 01:00:50.920
He said, I don't know how to say this except say this.

01:00:51.400 --> 01:00:53.740
Your son has all the symptoms of spinal meningitis.

01:00:55.380 --> 01:00:57.820
His soft spot is protruding.

01:00:58.140 --> 01:00:59.120
There's pressure on his brain.

01:01:00.500 --> 01:01:02.480
He can't hold his eyes down.

01:01:02.640 --> 01:01:04.320
They keep rolling up into his head.

01:01:05.620 --> 01:01:07.100
He named off three, four.

01:01:08.680 --> 01:01:10.680
He says, this child is spinal meningitis.

01:01:10.860 --> 01:01:12.100
I'm calling for flight for life.

01:01:12.100 --> 01:01:14.180
We want him at Children's Hospital in Denver.

01:01:15.480 --> 01:01:15.780
Now.

01:01:17.760 --> 01:01:18.140
I'm going.

01:01:19.360 --> 01:01:20.540
I'm a young guy.

01:01:22.720 --> 01:01:24.560
I'm 30, 31 years old.

01:01:24.820 --> 01:01:26.000
This is a young couple.

01:01:27.960 --> 01:01:28.980
Young couple.

01:01:30.140 --> 01:01:32.700
Mind you, without health insurance.

01:01:34.620 --> 01:01:35.940
Because we couldn't afford it.

01:01:36.320 --> 01:01:37.180
We're starting a church.

01:01:37.880 --> 01:01:39.920
And not everybody sows generously.

01:01:43.470 --> 01:01:44.550
You figure it out.

01:01:46.770 --> 01:01:47.870
So here we are.

01:01:48.070 --> 01:01:49.530
I'm a young, I'm a young man.

01:01:51.030 --> 01:01:54.310
And Mary is, she's almost eight years behind me.

01:01:54.430 --> 01:01:56.730
So she's 22, 23.

01:01:58.930 --> 01:02:03.090
And we have a son who the doctor is saying has spinal meningitis.

01:02:03.730 --> 01:02:05.990
He said, if we don't get him there immediately,

01:02:06.730 --> 01:02:10.890
he said he will be a vegetable

01:02:10.890 --> 01:02:12.290
and more than likely he will die.

01:02:15.550 --> 01:02:17.610
Well, I'm red-blooded like everybody else.

01:02:19.330 --> 01:02:20.210
And I'm German.

01:02:22.190 --> 01:02:24.050
The first thought that went through my mind is

01:02:25.450 --> 01:02:28.830
Children's Hospital airlifted spinal meningitis.

01:02:29.390 --> 01:02:30.210
We're bankrupt.

01:02:32.330 --> 01:02:34.310
We're broke probably the rest of our lives.

01:02:37.030 --> 01:02:37.430
No.

01:02:38.830 --> 01:02:39.770
Don't think about that now.

01:02:41.730 --> 01:02:44.190
Sometimes you have to shake off the thoughts of the flesh.

01:02:44.930 --> 01:02:47.570
Say, no, no, no, no, that's not the most important thing right now.

01:02:48.530 --> 01:02:49.750
Wait a second, that's right.

01:02:50.610 --> 01:02:51.930
I serve a God who heals.

01:02:53.970 --> 01:02:55.550
That was tucked in the back someplace.

01:02:56.350 --> 01:02:57.750
Money was blinking at me.

01:02:59.110 --> 01:03:00.890
So I said to the doctor, I said, tell you what.

01:03:04.850 --> 01:03:07.550
If we have to do this, we'll do it.

01:03:08.050 --> 01:03:11.950
I said, I want to take him home so I can pray with him,

01:03:12.090 --> 01:03:13.490
pray over him with my wife.

01:03:16.370 --> 01:03:19.430
And he said, I'm telling you, he said he needs to go now.

01:03:20.010 --> 01:03:21.370
I said, I know, I heard you.

01:03:21.810 --> 01:03:22.990
I said, I want to take him home.

01:03:26.900 --> 01:03:28.320
He said, I give you one hour.

01:03:29.440 --> 01:03:32.000
And I'll have a court order from the local judge

01:03:32.000 --> 01:03:34.240
and the sheriff will be at your doorstep.

01:03:34.460 --> 01:03:36.060
If you don't have him back here in an hour,

01:03:36.180 --> 01:03:37.780
by an hour and a half, the sheriff will be there

01:03:37.780 --> 01:03:38.700
and we'll take him by force.

01:03:39.560 --> 01:03:40.540
You're abusing him.

01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:43.120
But I'll give you one hour.

01:03:46.850 --> 01:03:49.690
Took him home, gave her the news.

01:03:51.030 --> 01:03:52.090
She called the parents.

01:03:52.250 --> 01:03:53.590
They immediately came, got their kids.

01:03:54.450 --> 01:03:58.010
There was another couple who was faith people in the church.

01:03:59.810 --> 01:04:03.430
Ran over to them, said, agree with us in prayer.

01:04:06.470 --> 01:04:07.530
Here's the diagnosis.

01:04:08.350 --> 01:04:09.410
And he was just flailing.

01:04:09.730 --> 01:04:11.670
I mean, by this point his eyes had rolled up

01:04:11.670 --> 01:04:12.790
and all you could see was whites.

01:04:13.190 --> 01:04:15.090
He was just screaming and flailing.

01:04:16.850 --> 01:04:18.150
Couldn't comfort him.

01:04:25.210 --> 01:04:26.370
At their house.

01:04:28.510 --> 01:04:31.110
This is what I reminded God of.

01:04:33.350 --> 01:04:36.630
When we started the church there in the spring of 86,

01:04:37.690 --> 01:04:41.590
for the first year, we dealt with what, Dean?

01:04:42.090 --> 01:04:42.410
Covenant.

01:04:42.630 --> 01:04:43.090
Covenant.

01:04:45.030 --> 01:04:51.530
He didn't have us do that for them as much as I think

01:04:51.530 --> 01:04:53.830
he had us do that for me.

01:04:55.470 --> 01:04:56.970
Because he knew what's coming.

01:04:59.050 --> 01:05:02.490
So I knew covenant at that point and I knew how it worked

01:05:02.490 --> 01:05:05.250
and I knew the exchange and I knew sewing generously

01:05:05.250 --> 01:05:09.070
and reaping generously and I knew all the principles.

01:05:10.410 --> 01:05:11.670
And at their house.

01:05:14.010 --> 01:05:18.370
Yeah, I tied into promises and we prayed over them

01:05:18.370 --> 01:05:19.590
but I made this statement.

01:05:20.830 --> 01:05:25.190
I said, God, to my knowledge,

01:05:26.130 --> 01:05:30.990
I have never withheld anything from you, including the tithes.

01:05:31.390 --> 01:05:34.010
Now we won't get to it this morning but our whole life is God's

01:05:35.230 --> 01:05:36.910
and we will count for it one day.

01:05:38.170 --> 01:05:40.170
And I prayed. I said it out loud.

01:05:40.410 --> 01:05:43.590
I said, God, I have never to my knowledge.

01:05:43.730 --> 01:05:45.130
Now I'm sure I'm not seeing everything

01:05:45.130 --> 01:05:47.290
but to my knowledge I'm clean on this one.

01:05:47.890 --> 01:05:50.930
I've given you everything you've ever asked for.

01:05:54.270 --> 01:05:56.010
Now that includes the tithe

01:05:56.010 --> 01:05:58.110
because you know what happens when you pray that prayer

01:05:58.110 --> 01:05:59.190
and you're not caught up?

01:06:00.730 --> 01:06:04.470
You will be slammed in your head and your thoughts

01:06:05.050 --> 01:06:07.550
with what about your tithing.

01:06:10.510 --> 01:06:11.770
Quick, give me the checkbook.

01:06:11.870 --> 01:06:12.910
I've got to write something out fast.

01:06:13.790 --> 01:06:15.190
Yeah, that usually doesn't count.

01:06:15.950 --> 01:06:16.970
It doesn't go far.

01:06:18.610 --> 01:06:23.130
I said, God, I've given you everything of my life.

01:06:24.930 --> 01:06:26.550
According to covenant,

01:06:28.450 --> 01:06:35.310
I now can ask any good, godly thing of you

01:06:35.310 --> 01:06:38.250
because what's yours is mine,

01:06:38.410 --> 01:06:40.370
because what's mine, I've made yours.

01:06:42.710 --> 01:06:46.470
I said, I'm asking for a miracle,

01:06:46.470 --> 01:06:47.430
for my son.

01:06:48.830 --> 01:06:51.450
This did not come because of my great faith

01:06:52.910 --> 01:06:55.050
because I didn't have much at that point

01:06:55.530 --> 01:06:58.550
other than I knew him

01:06:59.090 --> 01:07:00.990
and I knew what he said

01:07:01.490 --> 01:07:02.590
and I believed it.

01:07:04.070 --> 01:07:05.410
I'm asking for a miracle.

01:07:05.730 --> 01:07:06.910
We had to get back to the hospital

01:07:06.910 --> 01:07:09.270
because our hour is going to be up.

01:07:10.470 --> 01:07:11.910
On the way back, he's just screaming

01:07:11.910 --> 01:07:13.130
and flailing his arms

01:07:13.130 --> 01:07:15.370
and there's nothing Mary can do to comfort him.

01:07:15.370 --> 01:07:16.950
He's just getting progressively worse.

01:07:17.590 --> 01:07:20.510
About a half a mile from the emergency room

01:07:21.450 --> 01:07:22.830
it went totally quiet.

01:07:23.110 --> 01:07:25.470
We had a minivan and they were behind me.

01:07:25.930 --> 01:07:26.890
It went totally quiet.

01:07:28.350 --> 01:07:29.370
I said, what happened?

01:07:30.090 --> 01:07:31.070
What's going on back there?

01:07:33.610 --> 01:07:34.750
She didn't say anything

01:07:34.750 --> 01:07:36.930
because she's looking at him like...

01:07:36.930 --> 01:07:38.610
I said, what just happened?

01:07:38.730 --> 01:07:39.310
What's going on?

01:07:40.290 --> 01:07:43.690
She said his eyes just rolled forward.

01:07:44.710 --> 01:07:46.030
I'm looking in his pupils.

01:07:46.250 --> 01:07:47.290
They just cleared up.

01:07:48.350 --> 01:07:49.990
I said, what about the top of his head?

01:07:50.030 --> 01:07:52.290
She said, I can see the heartbeat that's sunk in.

01:07:53.910 --> 01:07:55.470
The protrusion is gone.

01:07:56.610 --> 01:07:58.470
I can see his heartbeat in the soft spot.

01:08:00.470 --> 01:08:01.510
And he looks at her.

01:08:10.110 --> 01:08:11.170
Instantly made whole.

01:08:13.750 --> 01:08:15.650
Came into that emergency room

01:08:15.650 --> 01:08:18.550
walked in the doctor standing at the door waiting for us.

01:08:20.290 --> 01:08:21.730
I said, check him over again.

01:08:21.930 --> 01:08:24.070
He said, I called another doctor. We sure will.

01:08:24.270 --> 01:08:25.790
They took him back into the back room.

01:08:28.410 --> 01:08:31.370
Mary said, they're not checking him out without me being in there.

01:08:35.050 --> 01:08:36.510
She walked right in there.

01:08:38.250 --> 01:08:40.070
I guess they didn't even challenge it.

01:08:40.170 --> 01:08:41.210
Probably was a look on her face.

01:08:41.210 --> 01:08:41.450
Obviously.

01:08:42.690 --> 01:08:44.190
You're going to start looking at him.

01:08:44.390 --> 01:08:44.650
I'm here.

01:08:45.830 --> 01:08:48.010
They looked him over every way from Sunday

01:08:49.190 --> 01:08:51.770
and said, we want blood tests.

01:08:52.910 --> 01:08:53.990
I said, for what?

01:08:54.470 --> 01:08:55.070
Look at him.

01:08:56.570 --> 01:08:57.350
He's fine.

01:08:58.650 --> 01:09:00.330
This does not happen.

01:09:00.570 --> 01:09:01.330
Something's wrong.

01:09:02.250 --> 01:09:03.590
We want blood tests.

01:09:03.690 --> 01:09:04.490
We're going to send you to Boulder.

01:09:04.650 --> 01:09:06.570
You're going to have to get blood work done, blah, blah, blah.

01:09:07.890 --> 01:09:11.670
Or we're still going to get injunction from the judge.

01:09:15.050 --> 01:09:16.470
Something happened. It's wrong.

01:09:17.010 --> 01:09:18.470
Something's wrong here with this picture.

01:09:20.230 --> 01:09:20.890
Well, yeah.

01:09:21.170 --> 01:09:21.910
So we went to Boulder.

01:09:22.630 --> 01:09:24.370
Jess was a big boy when he...

01:09:24.370 --> 01:09:25.750
He's still a tall, big guy.

01:09:25.950 --> 01:09:28.090
But he was a big boy when he was little and he had

01:09:28.090 --> 01:09:30.310
how some babies, they get fat rolls

01:09:31.090 --> 01:09:32.250
all over the place.

01:09:35.030 --> 01:09:35.690
Michelin boys?

01:09:35.690 --> 01:09:36.050
Yeah.

01:09:38.370 --> 01:09:40.310
And they couldn't find his veins.

01:09:42.590 --> 01:09:43.930
And he was screaming

01:09:43.930 --> 01:09:46.010
and they were poking and trying to find a vein.

01:09:46.670 --> 01:09:47.890
And Mary finally said,

01:09:47.990 --> 01:09:48.850
you know, I'm done with this.

01:09:49.630 --> 01:09:51.210
I don't care what that doctor wants.

01:09:52.050 --> 01:09:53.250
We're going to give him one more try.

01:09:53.330 --> 01:09:54.350
And if they don't do it, we're out of here.

01:09:54.710 --> 01:09:56.090
And the nurse looked at her like,

01:09:56.930 --> 01:09:58.170
you're a crazy woman because

01:09:59.330 --> 01:10:00.350
she read the chart.

01:10:00.670 --> 01:10:03.550
This is tentative spinal meningitis.

01:10:04.030 --> 01:10:05.870
And she tried her best, couldn't find it.

01:10:06.670 --> 01:10:07.510
We grabbed him.

01:10:07.650 --> 01:10:09.430
We left 6.30 the next morning.

01:10:09.570 --> 01:10:10.590
The doctor called. He said,

01:10:10.690 --> 01:10:12.750
I want him in here in 30 minutes.

01:10:13.390 --> 01:10:14.430
I'm calling the sheriff.

01:10:16.370 --> 01:10:17.230
So we took him in,

01:10:17.430 --> 01:10:18.810
7 o'clock in the morning, took him in.

01:10:19.790 --> 01:10:21.610
The doctor looks at him, examines him,

01:10:21.730 --> 01:10:22.930
pokes, prods, does everything.

01:10:23.050 --> 01:10:23.890
He said, what happened?

01:10:24.430 --> 01:10:26.210
I said, I told you, I said I wanted to go home and pray.

01:10:27.270 --> 01:10:28.350
He said, I don't believe in that.

01:10:28.550 --> 01:10:28.930
I said, I don't.

01:10:33.330 --> 01:10:34.350
You asked a question.

01:10:34.530 --> 01:10:35.330
I'm giving you the answer.

01:10:36.410 --> 01:10:37.930
I don't care if you believe or not, but

01:10:40.250 --> 01:10:41.250
I said, we prayed.

01:10:42.010 --> 01:10:43.630
By the time we got back here, God healed him.

01:10:47.730 --> 01:10:48.510
He said, well,

01:10:48.710 --> 01:10:50.330
he said, I don't believe in any of that stuff.

01:10:50.450 --> 01:10:51.610
He was an atheist.

01:10:53.510 --> 01:10:54.930
So now my mind after

01:10:54.930 --> 01:10:55.990
it did not the moment,

01:10:55.990 --> 01:10:57.430
but after a while went,

01:10:58.390 --> 01:11:00.110
Oh, because he would never

01:11:00.110 --> 01:11:01.050
God does something with that.

01:11:01.050 --> 01:11:02.610
It's not all about us.

01:11:04.210 --> 01:11:05.490
It's always including

01:11:05.490 --> 01:11:06.090
other people.

01:11:07.710 --> 01:11:09.570
That was this doctor's witness.

01:11:09.930 --> 01:11:10.470
There is a God.

01:11:11.790 --> 01:11:13.430
He cannot stand before God

01:11:13.430 --> 01:11:15.090
and say, I don't ever believe there is

01:11:15.090 --> 01:11:16.990
ever was a God. He said, no, you had a witness.

01:11:17.230 --> 01:11:17.770
Remember that baby?

01:11:18.850 --> 01:11:20.510
They said it was me who did that.

01:11:20.690 --> 01:11:21.630
You couldn't explain it.

01:11:22.530 --> 01:11:24.710
So he was frustrated. He said, well, whatever.

01:11:24.890 --> 01:11:26.350
He said, I'm kind of done with this.

01:11:26.430 --> 01:11:27.730
I spent too much time on it already.

01:11:27.730 --> 01:11:29.790
He took his pen and he wrote on the chart.

01:11:30.090 --> 01:11:32.010
Real big letters, miracle baby.

01:11:32.970 --> 01:11:33.610
Underlined it.

01:11:34.250 --> 01:11:34.890
He said, go home.

01:11:35.970 --> 01:11:38.050
The symptoms come back. I want them back in here.

01:11:41.410 --> 01:11:42.910
You know why it turned out that way?

01:11:43.910 --> 01:11:45.650
Not because I had such great faith.

01:11:46.570 --> 01:11:47.710
I was freaked out.

01:11:48.590 --> 01:11:49.390
I'm a young man.

01:11:52.390 --> 01:11:54.250
We had never faced anything that big before.

01:11:55.350 --> 01:11:56.570
It wasn't my faith.

01:11:56.570 --> 01:11:57.730
I can guarantee you that.

01:11:57.870 --> 01:11:59.010
I don't think it was Mary's either.

01:12:01.850 --> 01:12:02.930
It was covenant.

01:12:04.730 --> 01:12:05.410
And knowing

01:12:06.110 --> 01:12:07.150
our rights

01:12:08.010 --> 01:12:08.950
in covenant,

01:12:12.220 --> 01:12:14.300
that is what he wants for us.

01:12:16.360 --> 01:12:17.880
And we will find scriptures

01:12:17.880 --> 01:12:19.940
that will tell us he...

01:12:20.700 --> 01:12:21.700
our entire life.

01:12:21.820 --> 01:12:23.000
You know, we read some this morning,

01:12:23.160 --> 01:12:24.340
but in the New Testament,

01:12:25.120 --> 01:12:27.080
our entire life is his.

01:12:28.740 --> 01:12:30.860
He expects us to give it all.

01:12:33.020 --> 01:12:34.720
If we can't give

01:12:34.720 --> 01:12:36.240
10%

01:12:36.240 --> 01:12:38.740
of our income, much less

01:12:38.740 --> 01:12:40.500
everything else in our life,

01:12:40.620 --> 01:12:42.040
that he says, I want...

01:12:42.040 --> 01:12:44.820
I want access to it all. I want you to be mine.

01:12:45.140 --> 01:12:46.240
So I can be yours.

01:12:46.640 --> 01:12:47.760
It's covenant. It's exchange.

01:12:49.980 --> 01:12:51.600
This is a test of our hearts.

01:12:53.000 --> 01:12:54.720
This is a test of our obedience.

01:12:56.600 --> 01:12:58.040
And if we will

01:12:58.040 --> 01:12:59.620
by faith, step out in it

01:12:59.620 --> 01:13:01.200
and grow and do what we can

01:13:01.200 --> 01:13:03.320
and believe God and strengthen in our face,

01:13:03.880 --> 01:13:05.300
if we can actually get to the point

01:13:05.300 --> 01:13:07.000
where we believe God can do more

01:13:07.000 --> 01:13:09.020
with 90 cents out of a dollar

01:13:10.220 --> 01:13:11.260
in our life,

01:13:11.380 --> 01:13:13.500
then we can do with 100 cents

01:13:13.500 --> 01:13:14.380
out of a dollar.

01:13:15.480 --> 01:13:16.740
Now we're on the right road.

01:13:18.240 --> 01:13:19.960
Because really, God can do more

01:13:19.960 --> 01:13:21.280
with 90 cents in a dollar.

01:13:22.960 --> 01:13:24.060
When I was looking

01:13:24.060 --> 01:13:26.080
at the millions of dollars

01:13:26.980 --> 01:13:28.000
that would have been

01:13:28.000 --> 01:13:30.200
spent on Jess to go to children's hospital

01:13:30.200 --> 01:13:31.300
if he'd have lived,

01:13:31.720 --> 01:13:33.980
they'd have kept him there for weeks, maybe months,

01:13:35.200 --> 01:13:35.900
and then

01:13:35.900 --> 01:13:37.440
he'd have been a vegetable, and

01:13:38.040 --> 01:13:39.560
now as long as he lives,

01:13:39.760 --> 01:13:41.780
the money just flows out.

01:13:43.900 --> 01:13:45.540
That dime on a dollar,

01:13:46.580 --> 01:13:47.560
that's a good deal.

01:13:49.960 --> 01:13:51.000
That's really a good deal.

01:13:52.280 --> 01:13:54.140
I could have kept the whole

01:13:54.140 --> 01:13:54.800
100 cents

01:13:54.800 --> 01:13:57.420
and said, God I ain't giving you no dollar

01:13:57.420 --> 01:13:59.260
and then when I needed him

01:14:00.740 --> 01:14:01.960
I would have received

01:14:01.960 --> 01:14:02.820
sparingly

01:14:02.820 --> 01:14:05.880
and my son would probably be dead

01:14:06.420 --> 01:14:07.520
and we'd be bankrupt

01:14:07.520 --> 01:14:08.580
for the rest of our life.

01:14:10.320 --> 01:14:11.280
Or worse.

01:14:15.480 --> 01:14:17.240
So father, we stop right there

01:14:18.460 --> 01:14:19.660
realizing that anything

01:14:19.660 --> 01:14:20.800
you ask us to do

01:14:20.800 --> 01:14:22.560
is always for our benefit.

01:14:24.080 --> 01:14:24.600
Always

01:14:24.600 --> 01:14:25.600
for our benefit.

01:14:27.380 --> 01:14:28.760
And yeah, the old nature

01:14:28.760 --> 01:14:30.340
of the flash, it doesn't like to go there.

01:14:30.600 --> 01:14:31.800
It argues.

01:14:32.400 --> 01:14:33.580
It struggles. It fights.

01:14:35.480 --> 01:14:36.000
But

01:14:36.640 --> 01:14:37.800
if we will obey

01:14:38.960 --> 01:14:40.760
and then grow in that obedience

01:14:40.760 --> 01:14:42.540
and actually start putting face

01:14:42.540 --> 01:14:44.500
to what we're doing in obedience

01:14:45.480 --> 01:14:46.800
and then get it deep

01:14:46.800 --> 01:14:48.860
enough in us that it actually becomes

01:14:48.860 --> 01:14:49.740
a joy

01:14:49.740 --> 01:14:51.820
to write the checkout

01:14:51.820 --> 01:14:53.760
or click the button

01:14:53.760 --> 01:14:56.440
that allows it to be digitally sent.

01:14:56.640 --> 01:14:58.340
It's like, this is awesome. Boom.

01:14:59.000 --> 01:14:59.720
And we send it.

01:15:01.480 --> 01:15:02.120
Now

01:15:03.020 --> 01:15:03.660
generous

01:15:03.660 --> 01:15:04.800
sowing

01:15:06.640 --> 01:15:07.920
brings generous

01:15:08.600 --> 01:15:10.140
reaping according to your word.

01:15:11.520 --> 01:15:12.600
And we choose

01:15:12.600 --> 01:15:13.560
to believe your word.

01:15:13.560 --> 01:15:13.980
Amen.

01:15:16.620 --> 01:15:19.340
That you're able to make all grace

01:15:21.140 --> 01:15:21.660
all

01:15:21.660 --> 01:15:23.460
great. Anything grace has

01:15:23.460 --> 01:15:25.360
available for us, all of it

01:15:25.360 --> 01:15:27.400
is available. Not part of it,

01:15:27.480 --> 01:15:29.420
not a little of it, all of it.

01:15:30.280 --> 01:15:31.360
That in all

01:15:31.360 --> 01:15:31.900
things,

01:15:33.200 --> 01:15:35.320
not just money, not just

01:15:35.320 --> 01:15:37.420
marriage, not just relationships, not just

01:15:37.420 --> 01:15:39.220
health, not just what, all

01:15:39.220 --> 01:15:40.000
things

01:15:40.000 --> 01:15:42.180
at all

01:15:42.180 --> 01:15:43.120
times

01:15:44.780 --> 01:15:45.860
we have

01:15:45.860 --> 01:15:47.660
all that we need.

01:15:51.420 --> 01:15:51.800
That's

01:15:52.180 --> 01:15:53.560
what our faith is set on

01:15:53.560 --> 01:15:55.920
because that wasn't my idea,

01:15:56.100 --> 01:15:57.320
that wasn't our idea,

01:15:57.640 --> 01:15:59.120
that is your idea.

01:15:59.380 --> 01:16:01.880
And it goes all the way back to Abraham

01:16:01.880 --> 01:16:03.380
and Melchizedek.

01:16:04.560 --> 01:16:05.600
That's where it

01:16:05.600 --> 01:16:05.900
started.

01:16:08.260 --> 01:16:09.640
And everyone who

01:16:09.640 --> 01:16:11.680
has honored you through the years,

01:16:12.620 --> 01:16:13.460
David talked

01:16:13.460 --> 01:16:15.340
about him. He said, I've never seen the righteous.

01:16:15.860 --> 01:16:17.340
Remember righteous? They did

01:16:17.340 --> 01:16:19.820
the right thing. I've never

01:16:19.820 --> 01:16:21.160
seen the righteous

01:16:21.160 --> 01:16:23.760
forsaken or their seed

01:16:23.760 --> 01:16:24.580
begging bread.

01:16:27.480 --> 01:16:29.220
That's what I'm setting my faith on.

01:16:31.360 --> 01:16:32.720
And the devourer

01:16:32.720 --> 01:16:35.220
may come at my lineage.

01:16:35.660 --> 01:16:37.460
And I might be gone. I might

01:16:37.460 --> 01:16:38.580
be gone for a hundred years.

01:16:39.660 --> 01:16:40.880
But because

01:16:40.880 --> 01:16:42.940
I took him up on his word,

01:16:44.620 --> 01:16:45.360
he will

01:16:45.360 --> 01:16:46.180
step in

01:16:47.080 --> 01:16:49.240
and say, nope, you can't touch

01:16:49.240 --> 01:16:49.540
these.

01:16:50.660 --> 01:16:52.020
I've got a covenant.

01:16:53.040 --> 01:16:55.200
I've got a covenant with

01:16:55.200 --> 01:16:55.900
Bert and Mary.

01:16:57.620 --> 01:16:59.180
You can't touch these.

01:16:59.700 --> 01:17:00.300
They're mine.

01:17:02.240 --> 01:17:03.500
And all

01:17:03.500 --> 01:17:05.500
grace will be available

01:17:05.500 --> 01:17:06.060
to them.

01:17:06.920 --> 01:17:09.480
And they're going to have to believe. And they're going to have to obey to

01:17:09.480 --> 01:17:11.380
let it keep establishing in their life.

01:17:12.100 --> 01:17:13.740
But what we do

01:17:14.400 --> 01:17:15.000
now

01:17:15.760 --> 01:17:16.880
will ripple

01:17:17.480 --> 01:17:19.340
for decades and

01:17:19.340 --> 01:17:21.240
the Lord tarries centuries

01:17:22.700 --> 01:17:23.940
because they're still

01:17:23.940 --> 01:17:26.000
our seed.

01:17:26.520 --> 01:17:28.000
They're still the fruit

01:17:28.000 --> 01:17:29.700
of our land.

01:17:31.740 --> 01:17:33.240
So Lord, help us

01:17:33.240 --> 01:17:34.140
understand

01:17:34.980 --> 01:17:36.920
the magnitude of what you've

01:17:36.920 --> 01:17:37.880
promised to us here.

01:17:38.820 --> 01:17:40.180
The magnitude of this

01:17:40.180 --> 01:17:42.840
in Jesus' name. Amen.

01:17:43.320 --> 01:17:43.800
Amen.