Financial Stewardship

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Last Lord's Day we completed our study of Colossians and I thought before we we may not begin next week

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I'm thinking that I'm working on that now some guys you know they've got everything planned out three months six months a year down the line

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I can't do that we'll know next by next Sunday what we're going to be talking about next

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Sunday I say that to my fault by the way but that's just how it's always worked but before we embark on the study of a new book

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I thought we deal with this important matter of Christian financial stewardship and I'm hoping

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I'm thinking that we can do it today only today and I'm somewhat reluctant always have been reluctant to address this matter for several reasons

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I don't want to ever be perceived as self -serving and of course it's very easy to make that kind of accusation whenever this subject is brought up from the pulpit but this is certainly not the case in fact

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I was looking over my records and this is only the second time in 42 years I've addressed the subject the first time

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I was looking at my notes and it was back in January of 2000 we dealt with four

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Sundays but I remember I looked in my notes I said I indicated then that was the first time in 25 years we had done so and so nobody can justly accuse us of overemphasizing this subject but we don't do so and so I have a purpose only to speak about these matters if and when

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I perceive it will be beneficial for you and it's not that I don't teach these things obviously

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I do but what I commonly have done over the years is when like a young Christian becomes aware of their responsibility as a steward they come and ask questions and I sit down and I'm answering their questions

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I'm cognizant of the fact that the Lord is dealing with them instructing them and guiding them in that and I have always found that that seems to be the best way to pastorally address these matters another reason we're reluctant to address the matter is because so many

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Christian ministries so -called emphasize giving to an extreme a sinful extreme we would argue in fact

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I remember one I won't mention his name but he was an evangelical who used to have an hour -long program 20 minutes music 20 minutes preaching 20 minutes raising money out of an hour that was inordinate and I think it's very distasteful and it's a turn -off not just for the world for non -Christians but for Christians also and I think that many non -Christians refused to hear the claims of the gospel because they justify themselves all that pastor wants all that church wants is my money and that is simply not the case but then there are third third there are some that react to any mention of money at all and this is particularly true with people who do not attend church very regularly and so because I don't want our gospel to be dismissed or discredited for that reason oftentimes

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I don't bring this matter up from the pulpit although there's nothing wrong in doing so in fact it's right to do so and the reason we're doing so today is because you know the elders and deacons were urging me to do so and so I was persuaded by them not that they dictate to me what we do

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I can't operate that way I can't preach somebody else's conscience but I'm certainly open to counsel and suggestion and so I thought that we would address this matter of financial stewardship and I want to begin by reading a portion of Malachi 3 verses 8 -12 we read this in church not too many weeks ago will a man rob

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God yet you have robbed me but you say in what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings you were cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and try me now in this as the

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Lord of hosts if I will not open for you the windows of heaven pour out for you and I will rebuke so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground and nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field says the

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Lord of hosts and all nations will call you blessed for you will be a delightful land says the

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Lord of hosts Malachi was the last the

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Lord hid 6th century

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BC they had this remnant had returned from Babylon sometime before Malachi contemporary of Ezra and so although it's commonly said that you know the last book of the

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Old Testament closed around 400 BC perhaps closer approximation would be between 458 and 433

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BC is when Malachi ministered to the people of Judah the people to whom

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Judah or God sent Malachi had not experienced what the earlier prophets declared would transpire the former prophets

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Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel the people become disillusioned and as a result they had defected from their covenant ministry to which

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God called this prophet Malachi and this is taken from the Reformation Study Bible Malachi spoke to a disillusioned discouraged and doubting people whose experience did not harmonize with their understanding of the glorious promises found in the earlier prophets their vision of the coming messianic age had not yet materialized instead they experienced poverty drought and economic adversity and they became disillusioned with God and their faith

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Malachi's word confronts a people skeptical of God's promises and therefore indifferent in their commitment to live in the light of those promises and to worship and serve the

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Lord of their hearts their love had grown cold in their hearts the book made their when the professing and to set forth the continuing obligations of the covenant to those who truly know

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God and so from this passage that we read in Malachi 3 verses 8 to 12 we see that one of the failures of the people of God was to maintain support for the work of God through their tithes and offerings and Malachi accused them of robbing

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God in their failure the prophet rebuked them strongly instructed them to correct their errant ways he set forth the promises of God that would be realized in their lives if they repented of their sin and they did right and they obeyed

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God if they kept their covenantal obligations if they were faithful in their financial stewardship their failure had brought difficulty upon them they had forfeited

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God's blessing they had secured God's curse upon them and we would have to say that this is a national curse because for the

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Christian who's truly in Christ there is no such thing as a curse he brings good things out of the most difficult things in life right all things for the

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New Testament Christian everything ultimately is a blessing for the Christian for the one who's not a

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Christian ultimately everything is a curse but here they had incurred a curse nationally speaking because their failure to keep covenantal obligations before God and so we have before us therefore a number of principles of stewardship that the

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Lord has set before his people as an important aspect of faith and life however before we consider the details of this passage

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I think we need to reiterate some basic principles of stewardship that are set forth in the

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Word of God first of all certainly let's recognize the importance of financial stewardship the

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Word of God places great weight on this matter it's a topic therefore it's a subject of interest and importance to everybody here isn't it it touches each of us in our lives each of us has to deal with money matters daily decisions respecting money take up much of our thinking and time every week and money issues and problems of course cause or may result in a great deal of tension and difficulty within the family always have always will the cost of living seems to be crushing upon most

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I find it amazing they say there's no inflation but it seems like you know a few years ago one too many years ago unexpected expenses $40 $50 $60 and now it's $400 $500 $600 and they say there's no inflation

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I don't know even to meet one's minimal needs is difficult and we now live in a society that not only requires responsible people to fend for themselves but it also imposes upon them the care of others and granted many of these that are cared for are in legitimate need but many many are not and certainly

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Christians are called upon to give liberally and assist those in need and they are willing to do so but in my opinion take it for what it's worth and I think this is biblical the forcible confiscation of one man's goods for another's need is unjust it's the stripping citizens of their liberty it is the very definition of oppression and servitude and that's where we're going and then secondly the topic suitable because it's one to which of course the scriptures speak frequently one cannot read very far into the

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Bible without this subject being raised in our Lord Jesus spoke about this matter repeatedly repeatedly now the reason it's important of course the love of money has to be dealt with out of concern for souls to be governed by the love of money will surely lead you away from Christ and the salvation that is in him will explain a little more fully later for God would have his people free from the love of money and the anxiety that money matters can produce in the hearts of his people

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God doesn't want you as a Christian to be tormented by these matters he wants you to be liberated from them and proper stewardship is the way that God has prescribed to escape the tyranny of these concerns becoming a good steward of God will impart peace to the troubled heart it is consumed with money worries now thankfully no matter what he may assume in the future our

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Lord is the provider of his people and so there is liberty in one soul with his knowledge and confidence we don't fear the future it may become very difficult increasingly difficult but we don't fear it back we probably see it as an opportunity for the gospel darker the night the brighter the light always has been and then there are principles in the word that will help the scriptures are a sufficient guide to us in all matters of faith and practice and this matter of our stewardship should be under the

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Lord Jesus Christ wasn't it one of the neighbor brothers who declared there is no aspect of life in which the

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Lord does not say or declare that is mine and for the Christian we recognize that this is the

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Lord's issue subject for which we are stewards and then we would argue also that God's provision in the area of money is a way to see

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God working powerfully in our lives a lot of people are running to and fro because they want to see some miracle of healing take place but oftentimes it's the way the

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God the Lord provides for people that are quite miraculous and remarkable and a cause of great encouragement and delight when the stories are told and then of course seventhly lastly each of us is responsible for the

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Lord for our financial stewardship it's required of stewards that they be found faithful and you're a steward

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God owns everything and he has entrusted you with it as a steward and you're going to have to give an account one day and so if we're to be faithful stewards several things must be true of us we need right instruction from the scriptures we may need correction of our understanding if it happens to be and we may need to be challenged and reinforced in principles of stewardship because we can backslide in these areas pretty quickly pretty easily under the pressures that we may be experiencing this is

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I could just add another point this is this is a one area in life where you can really show forth faith in God when it seems like everything is pointing the other way you obey

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God you trust God and then he wonderfully and remarkably provides and and so I think that many times the

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Lord allows these difficulties to come into our lives to put us in that position and a trust and obey him are you gonna you know like the ancient people of Judah you know you're going to resort to Egypt rather than the

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Lord let's call Egypt to help us and the prophet says no that's like leaning on a you know pointed stick it's not going to help you and it's just going to end up jabbing you into the side is not going to help you of course the problems for those who are poor stewards the scriptures say one common serious danger the

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Christian always must contend with is a sin of covetousness that's the one that of course slew

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Paul all manner of covetousness and what is covetousness it's the inordinate desire to have something more than what

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God is determined to give us covetousness is a lack of contentment either with what

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God has given you or what God has not given you proper stewardship will preserve us from the sin of covetousness we read in first Timothy 6 now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world is certain we can carry nothing out having food and clothing with these we shall be content that seemed to be the truth that settled

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Job if you're reading through the scriptures with us we're in Job aren't we and after he had such a reverse in chapter 1 he confessed came in naked and going out naked blessed be the name of the

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Lord riches themselves are not to be sought after as a basis of happiness godliness and contentment with such things as God has provided to sustain you or what should be truly desirable godliness is that state of a person in which he or she is living in communion with God godliness all of life is viewed as a walk with God and so this person thinks high thoughts of God he met and there's contentment in that kind of person so a godly man is at peace within himself because he's at peace with God he is content with what

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God has given him and he's content with what God has not given him is not to say he's not ambitious or that he is lazy no good strives for nothing he does indeed seek to move forward in life but because he's godly he recognizes that a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses as our

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Lord taught in Luke 12 15 and so he watches his heart lest he become covetousness unless he becomes a coveting person and that is so easily occurs well in contrast to the contented man we have in first Timothy 6 description of those who are not contented but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierce themselves with many sorrows now take note that Paul was not writing of rich people he was writing of people who longed to be rich there's a big difference

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I've known people who possess many riches but they have not been possessed by those riches has nothing to do with how much money you have in your bank account on the other hand

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I've known poor people who possess no riches who themselves have been possessed by the riches they don't have this governs them and so this is not speaking of how much money you have it speaking about how much desire you have for money do you long to be rich is that what drives you is the elusiveness of attaining wealth the cause of great disappointment to you and I remember very vividly a man

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I was speaking to and he thankfully he came to repentance some years later but I remember him telling me this is probably 12 -13 years ago he was angry sitting in my office downstairs angry and the reason he was angry is because God made

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Bill Gates rich and didn't make him rich and he professed to be a Christian he was discontent well they know nothing about the contentment and delight in him supremely because they're long to be rich a greedy man is a troubled man he has a complicated existence he has temptations that others do not have or at least to the degree others have those who desire to be rich fall into temptation gambling is sin not only is it poor stewardship of the money

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God has given you to care for and use according to his will from attaining it by godly means of course that's just a part of our society and culture right handful of years ago

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I read it was six percent of residents in Massachusetts have a gambling addiction as they defined it well that was mostly promoted by the state wasn't it with the whole lottery thing he's also vulnerable to scams and deceitful people those who desire to be rich fall into a snare and a snare was a way of catching animals or birds you'd make a loop of rope sit it on the ground or rock and it would seize an unsuspecting animal or bird not seeing it or recognizing it for what it is the bird sees the bait doesn't see the snare he's trapped a man who longs to be rich is tempted to approach the snare then that a man who is content would pass by the side

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I'm rather ignorant about financial matters not as much as I used to but I'm somewhat vulnerable to I'm somewhat vulnerable to Aaron thinking about matters

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I know nothing about however I would reason I am less vulnerable to dishonest men than the one who knows all the workings of high finance whose heart is bent on attaining wealth above all else he is the vulnerable guy

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I don't know about you but daily I receive appeals on through my email

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I got one this morning I'm the beneficiary of the late so -and -so this is attorney so -and -so send me your information personal information you know and then it becomes very sophisticated you know my my client was a

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Christian and wants his or her wealth to be given to the Christian work we need a responsible person to manage this we've selected you contact us over and over and over again these things come and a person is trapped in these things rather easily it's big business isn't it scams all over the world now

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I've almost been caught a couple times in the incident a couple years ago you might recall when

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I thought that I was being invited to London to give a conference and it was he was clever

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I got a request one time from I think it was

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Lagos Nigeria and I responded the way I commonly and there wrote me he wrote me back oh please you know please forgive me pray for me but you know

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I need this for my family and he said basically they sit in internet cafes in Lagos Nigeria all day long and send out these emails all over the world and they work don't they

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I was reading a woman who found a boyfriend on Christian mingle .com

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he was from Africa and he took her for five hundred thousand dollars the longing to be rich is a cause of apostasy what is apostasy it's when a believer in Christ sets aside his faith and so we'd put believer in quotations he's not a true believer he wants believed in Christ or so he said he stopped believing in Christ in a manner that his faith no longer has influence over his life and the

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Lord warned against the danger of apostasy in this way behold a sower went forth to sow and he sowed some among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked him disciples said what do you mean by this

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Jesus said he that received seed among the thorns and see that here's the word and the care of this world deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes untruthful he's a lost man it's not so much he becomes an apostate but he becomes a hypocrite he hears the word he knows the truth he sits under the truth but that has this sin that prevents the word from possessing his soul he's not a godly man he's a covetous man he wants to possess riches but riches have possessed him and so there are many that claim to be

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Christian they attend churches I had a man who claims to be a Christian I don't believe he is tell me the reason he attended a church not this church but a church in this community is because that's where the customers are he had a business and that's where the customers are the longing for riches is a root problem in other words other sins spring from this one the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and so a greedy man will be more than a greedy man it's a root that brings forth fruit many branches on that tree and so a greedy man will have more sins today than he had say a year ago the farther he strayed from God's Word and ways the worst things get due to the love of money some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows and then a covetous man is a troubled man his life is complex intertwined with troubles with wrong decisions and moves that brought him simplicity is far from his experience troubles here troubles there sorrows everywhere and these problems distress him greatly he's pierced through with many sorrows speaks of his inward turmoil and he causes others distress as well such ones pierced themselves through with many sorrows again this is what possessed

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Paul this is what made Paul a sinner in his own sight when that 10th commandment came all the others he thought he could keep you know quite well outwardly but when it came to the 10th commandment that spoke to the condition of his soul his heart thou shalt not covet and this is what caused him to see his need for Christ just a couple quick principles about biblical stewardship certainly

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God is the owner of all things you don't own anything God owns all things the earth is the

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Lord's and all its fold us the world and those not only what you own but but you yourself is owned by and this is an unquestioned truth in the light of Holy Scripture God owns all things and he's free to do with those things he pleases he may freely give all things or he may withhold all things this is it within his purview as the king of history and so if we happen to acquire certain things it's a stewardship that we have before our

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God and if stewards we must be held and recognize our accountability we should always acknowledge his ownership and continually feel gratefulness and express thankfulness for any and all that God has given us and that is reflected throughout

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Scripture principally in the Psalms over and over again and then not only is

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God the owner of all things but God is the provider of all things and God wants his people to come to know this experientially that he is your personal provider as a father provides for his children

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God desires to provide for his children and he has the ability of course to give his children what they need

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Paul wrote my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus that's a glorious promise now

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I think it's a promise that is wrongly extended to people because it's rather restrictive as we'll say in a moment

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Deuteronomy 818 thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that gives thee power to get well there's another place it says he gives you the power to get well without a curse as well devil can cause people to get wealthy to the

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Lord granted that authority to him on occasions and that what he offered the Lord Jesus I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world you bow down worship me

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God wants us to trust him as provider he wants us to express faith in him as our provider by by giving to his work ties an offering to get back to Malachi 3 in a minute and we trust him by giving him a first portion of what he's given us he promises that he will show himself as a provider to them that do in fact he challenges people to trust him to do so is what's declared in Malachi 3 the

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Lord Jesus declared in Luke 638 give it shall be given on you good measure pressed down shaking together running over shall men give into your bosom the old adage you can't out give

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God is a truism we read again a

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Paul's promise to the Christians at Philippi but we have to read that promise in context is not supporting

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God's work nobody else supported me when I left Macedonia but you you've been faithful to me your partner with me in this ministry

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I assure you you filled my needs satisfy my need my God's gonna supply your need it's a promise to faithful stewards not all

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Christians indiscriminately he does God does for them that trust him with their and then the scriptures say the miserly soul will not be blessed of God Proverbs 28 27 he that gives unto the poor shall not lack but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse and Ecclesiastes the wise man observed there is a sore evil which

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I have seen under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt this guy's a person hoarding thinks his security maybe is in what he's able to acquire no and Haggai 1 is particularly pointed here again a post -exilic prophet

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God telling his people they were not getting ahead because they had not been concerned about building the temple in Jerusalem now therefore that says the

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Lord of Hosts consider your wage of so much you bring in little you eat you do not have enough you drink you're not filled with drink you clothe yourselves you're not warm he who earns wet wages earned wages to put it into a bag with holes and so the

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Lord tells them consider your ways go up to the mountains bring wood build the temple that I may take pleasure in it be glorified you look for much but God himself brought it to nothing why because of my house is in ruins while every one of you runs to his own house therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew the earth withholds you know we're just getting over a drought out in the

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West there still is lingering but it seems to be getting over with for years you know wasn't too many generations ago there had been a call for national fasting and prayer and national repentance because it was recognized that God is the one who gives the rain or withholds it as everywhere in Scripture is taught and so he says that you know that he would actually cause great hardship and difficulty financially for people if they're not faithful this is not to say that a person who does not give cannot gain wealth for in the world that frequently happens doesn't it but I would make two points here you will tend to find highly successful people to be generous people

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I have found that that is unless their success was built upon wrong principles that certainly is evident too but secondly those who are wealthy and those who are not generous are cursed by their wealth their wealth is not a blessing to them it comes with a curse and so a man may gain money apart from being generous but a curse will come and suppose

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God can enable you to give to the work of his kingdom 2nd Corinthians 8 and 9 Paul was writing about the church at Corinth and other churches that he dealt with about raising funds to take a collection to Palestine to help the poor

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Christians there who were suffering and so he gave instruction and he was urging the people in the church at Corinth to be very gracious and liberal in their contribution and so he said in verse 6 he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully so let each one give as he purposes in his heart not grudgingly or necessity for God loves a cheerful giver he's not talking here about giving to the ongoing ministry of the local church to support he's talking about a special offering for the needy seats in Palestine then he says this in verse 8

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God is able to make all grace abound toward you in other words God is able to send you money is what he's basically saying that you always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work and Christians will tell you sometimes they don't have the money but they purpose they want to give to some work and the

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Lord wonderfully provides it and it's a wonderful thing to see

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God at work in this way and to experience God working through you in this way and then there's an

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Old Testament verse quoted he's dispersed abroad he's given to the poor his righteousness endures forever and so he

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God who supply seed to the sower bread for food supply and multiply the seed you've sown increase the fruits of your righteousness while you enrich in everything for all liberality which causes thanksgiving to us to God so this whole passage is dealing with grace giving you see a need

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God's burden you about it you want to have a part in it will pray and ask God to provide it and see what

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God does and it's a wonderful thing to be used in that way to see the

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Lord provide to you what about the nature of our giving certainly to be an active faith do you believe

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God that he will and can provide then don't be fearful don't be fearful that you'll not have enough of you give to his work trust him he'll prove himself to you giving is an act of obedience

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God commands to give and it's an obedience born of faith and we would argue that the

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Bible teaches that tithing is the beginning point of our giving I think this is very clear in the scriptures some argue against it

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I didn't put it down in the notes but one main argument they always fall upon is the proportional giving that is set forth in 1st

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Corinthians 16 1 and following on the first day of the week that is many of you gather set about set aside as God has prospered him and they say well the

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New Testament teaches grace giving old they make that contrast but again 1st

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Corinthians Paul is talking about a special offering for needy Saints is not a principle that overrides the tithe principle which is found throughout scripture it's an error to say that because we're

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Christians the teaching of the Old Testament has been set aside Paul reasoned all scripture is given and it's profitable for righteousness for instruction in how to live as Christian 2nd

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Timothy 316 and so in order to consider this let's now look at the passage forgive me but that was in somewhat way an introduction to Malachi 3 verses 8 to 12 let's look at this passage we read his words earlier he charged the people for it and so when people are not faithful in their stewardship before God God regards him as thieves that's a strong word but that's what he said they are ones who fail and refuse to acknowledge

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God as the you've robbed me but the people who

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Malachi addressed did not see their duty and therefore did not see their culpability but you say in what way have we robbed you and the response the answer is in tithes and offerings what is a tithe well tithing is a giving of 10 % of one's increase to the

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Lord in his work tithe means 10 % and the people of God throughout the ages have practiced this matter of tithing the

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Lord revealed to Malachi the serious nature their failure to tithe your curse with a curse for you've robbed me even this whole nation again all things that exist in the world belong to God and when one tithes to the

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Lord's work he's basically acknowledging through that tithe that God does own all things the 10 % demonstrates that and when he gives that 10 % it results in the

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Lord blessing the 90 % it's like the offering of the first fruits in the Old Testament when the farmer was ready to harvest he took a couple sheaves when it was ready to harvest he brought them before the temple waved it before the

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Lord and it wasn't just that portion dedicated to the Lord but everything it represented everything back in the field was dedicated to the

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Lord and the Lord would bless it and that's what tithing basically is and then we read of God's promise of blessing to those who give tithes and all this challenge me test me says the

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Lord of Hosts if I will not open for you the windows of heaven pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it we might say a word about the expression storehouse the storehouse was those storage buildings attached to the temple in Jerusalem there the offerings were received and stored and distributed the various needs of the administration of the temple service the house of God now directly speaking the storehouse is not the local church you go down south you'll hear a lot of preaching about storehouse tithing and they make an equivalence of the storehouse of the local church now

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I think there is an application there but it's not a direct correlation we can say this with conviction however the temple was the established place and institution of the

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Old Testament which was supported by the tithes of the people of God in the New Testament that institution is a local church it is a house of God Jacob gave tithes to the house before him that was a pillar at Bethel Lord this

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I'm going out of the land this is your house this stone on which I laid my head last night you showed yourself to me this is the house of God this is

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Bethel and if you go with me and bless me I'll give you a tithe of everything I every increase it comes to me that was the

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Lord's house at Bethel that pillar and then the temple of course was the house of the Lord that's what you have in Malachi 310 and in the

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New Testament the Lord would have his low supported by the tithes of his people

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Paul wrote to Timothy how you might believe behave in the house of God the church of the

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Living God we would argue it's a local church which is the only legitimate established institution by the

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Lord for the conducting of his work in the world in this Christian era this is not to delegitimize ministries that are apart from the local church

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God bless them and they need support from our generous offerings but God has ordained specifically the local church as the singular organizational institution through which he carries on his work in the world the

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Lord founded the local church established its order ordained its leaders he'd have his people supported with their tithes the tithe is not to be seen as ours in other words mine is an individual to be used wherever I see fit but rather the tithe is the

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Lord's and you would have the tithe support his work of the kingdom through the local church it's the house of God although certainly we have other ministries that we should do support now the

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Lord promises to assist his people in providing their needs even granting them blessing awarding their covenant faithfulness and so he challenges his people to put him to the test try me now and this is the

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Lord but the Lord also promises to protect his people from that which would cause their their resources to deteriorate evaporate and so we read in verses 11 and 12

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I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field says the

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Lord of hosts and all nations will call you blessed for you will be a delightful land says the Lord of hosts and so the devourer might be seen as really anything anyone that would devour consume our resources and so it might be a drought if you were a farmer it might be roots in the sewer line for the homeowner it could be any number of things it could be invaders from Eden wanting to come in at harvest time and take away the crops from somebody who's labored all season long for them

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I'm not saying that problems do not happen to people who give because those problems do happen but some

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Christians never have enough never get along are always suffering so -called unexpected expenses because God has not withheld the devourer from them because they have failed in this matter of stewardship to those who give faithfully to his work he challenges them to see him work in their lives and so we would argue you can either tie it to God or tie it to the devourer but the

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Lord will see to it that we will not profit only come out better for it with that which is his portion and again the tide we'd argue is only the beginning of our giving and actually you go into the

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Old Testament law and find out they tied several times apparently God had told the

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Israelites in Malachi 3 they had robbed him in tithes and offerings now one of the main arguments that gives tithing of course is that tithing is under the

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Mosaic law and we're not under the law they say now that whole argument is spurious when it says we're not under the law we're not under the law as a covenant of works

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God's delivered that we're from that but we still conform our lives to the moral law of God Jesus Christ did and he would have us live like him that's what righteousness is we're to live righteously in fact

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Romans 8 declares that that's one of the reason we were redeemed so that we could live according to the righteousness of law that the covenant of Moses could never produce in us but the

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Holy Spirit can in fact if your children of God being led by the Spirit of God you are the children of God and in that context being led as a children of God is to order your life according to the law of God but there are those who argue we're not under the law whatsoever and tithing was the

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Old Testament law Mosaic law and therefore it has no binding authority or application for the

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Christian and yet if you examine the scriptures I read this argument recently by quite a well -respected

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Christian leader but his argument was spurious because you see that even before the law of Moses was given people practice tithing

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Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in Genesis 14 the

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Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine he was a priest of the Most High God he blessed him that is

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Melchizedek blessed Abraham and said blessed be Abram of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth blessed be

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God Most High Abraham tithed to Melchizedek who was a legitimate priest before God but that was you know 400 years before the law

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Moses and then again we mentioned Jacob he committed to tithe to God again on his way out of the promised land to go live with his uncle

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Jacob made a vow saying if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I'm going and give me bread to eat clothing to put on and this stone which

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I've set as a pillar shall be God's house that's why it was named Bethel the house of God and I will give you and of all that you give me

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I will surely give a tenth to you and so Jacob tithing 400 years before the law of Moses therefore the argument is invalid that the law need to tithe and besides this is now the

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New Testament implies of not being under the law it means we're not under the law as a covenant of works what that means we're under grace of course

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Moses taught Israel to tithe Deuteronomy 14 22 and a number of other places you shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year and but the

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Lord Jesus himself affirmed tithing he instructed the Pharisees and scribes woe to you scribes

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Pharisees hypocrites you tithe mint and dill and cumin and neglected the weightier matters of the law justice mercy and faithfulness and then our

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Lord Jesus said these you ought to have done you were right in tithing you shouldn't have left the other things undone neglecting the other things mercy justice and faithfulness you blind guide straining out a nest swallowing a camel and so our

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Lord affirmed that they were right in tithing of all they had their problem is they failed to do what was most important and they were in a legalistic manner requiring the smallest detail of life to be conformed to their rules but they neglected the major themes and ideals of the kingdom but certainly our

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Lord's instruction there was reinforcing to his disciples his disciples didn't immediately say yeah they're supposed to tithe but we don't we're not under that obligation now throughout the scriptures tithing was seen to be the responsibility of the people of God let's just draw a couple conclusions we'll close first this principle of giving should not be twisted as the health and wealth gospel pundits do saying that we may give in order to get rich again we're reading through Job and the

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New Reformation Study Bible as I'm seeing a phrase in the new edition

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I didn't see it in the earlier edition when I read through but they've got a phrase now that accurately describes the wrong theology of Job's friends retribution principle where basically they of course were accusing of suffering because he was suffering the consequences of his action you reap what you sow retribution principle and they were arguing basically if you're righteous you wouldn't have suffered this way you must be sinful you must be guilty confess and repent and of course that wasn't true in Job's case so the retribution principle although it's a legitimate principle men reap what they sow to apply in every instance and assume that it takes place immediately within someone's life is not legitimate they were all wrong in their assessment of Job and there are some basically in the health and wealth gospel ministry they this is what they're advocating this retributive principle if you're good and you give you'll be blessed with health and wealth and everything else that comes to you and that's a false message because some don't some are faithful and they go through life and they do not necessarily experience the kind of blessing that we might expect in this life but the reward is in going to be seen the

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Lord's gonna make everything right when he returns we should understand that and so the

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Lord would have us recognize him as our provider he desires to set us free from the love of money free from the tyranny of the concern that money brings and he set forth the principle of tithing and giving offerings to deal with these matters this is the way of escape the way of deliverance that God has set forth in his word and so by our faithfulness and stewardship we're demonstrating that this important aspect of our lives is under the authority of our

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Lord Jesus Christ he is the Lord of our wallet or pocketbook as well as all other aspects of life and then of course we would reason the spiritual leader of the home is ultimately responsible for leading the family in this area certainly consideration must be given to Christians who have unsafe spouses they're limited in what they can do obviously the