Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Father in heaven, we thank
You so much for the privilege of
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being here for this study today.
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We ask for the presence of Your
Holy Spirit as we study about
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how to invest in our
future, not only in this life
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but in the life to come.
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We thank you for
hearing our prayer
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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There is no subject that
Jesus addressed more frequently
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than the subject of money.
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Now Jesus spoke about a lot of
things: He spoke about the love
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of God, He spoke about the
judgment and other subjects.
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But time, after time,
after time in the gospels,
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Jesus speaks about money.
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And so this evening, in our
study, we're going to discuss
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what the book of Genesis
has to say about investing;
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investing our
material resources.
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And our study is
going to be very simple.
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We're going to study four
principles that we find in the
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book of Genesis, and which
are amplified in the rest of
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scripture, on how to
administrate the money that God
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has blessed us with.
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So lets begin with our first
principle, which is found in
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Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:1.
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I don't even have to look
up this verse in my Bible.
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I don't think you have
to either. It says there:
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Clearly we find in this
text that God was the Creator.
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And because God was the
Creator, we know that He
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is the owner of everything.
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And so in Genesis 1:1 we
find our first principle,
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and that is that God is
the owner of everything,
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because He created everything.
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Now lets notice some
other texts in the Old Testament
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which underline
this specific principle.
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Psalm 24:1, Psalm 24:1.
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We find this same
principle expressed in different
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terminology. It
says there in Psalm 24:1:
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So notice once again the idea
that the world is the Lord's,
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and all of the fullness thereof.
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When it says the fullness
thereof, it's referring to
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everything that is in the world.
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By the way, many people might
think that perhaps we're just
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reading from the Old Testament.
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But allow me to say
that the apostle Paul
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in 1 Corinthians 10:26
actually quotes Psalm 24:1,
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and reaffirms in the New
Testament that the earth is the
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Lord's, and the
fullness thereof.
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Now lets notice several
other Biblical texts that refer
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to this same principle, that
God is the owner of everything.
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Psalm 95:5, Psalm 95:5.
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The same idea comes through,
obviously, in different words.
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It says there in Psalm 95:5:
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And then it explains why.
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So notice once again, the seas
belong to God, and the dry land
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belongs to God,
because God made these things.
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Notice also Psalm 50.
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Let's remain in the book of
Psalm just for another passage:
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Psalm 50 and I would like
to read verses 10 through 12.
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Psalm 50:10-12. It says here:
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So notice, the cattle and the
beasts belong to God. Verse 12:
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So our first principle is that
God is the owner of everything.
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He is the owner of everything,
because He was the Creator.
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But not only does God
own the beasts of the field,
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the birds of the
air, the fish of the seas;
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not only does He own the trees,
and the seas, but God also owns
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the silver and
the gold, minerals,
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because He created these.
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Notice in the little book
of Haggai 2:8, what we find
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about the silver and the gold.
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Haggai 2:8. It says here:
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So the silver and the
gold also belong to God.
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Now what about us?
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What about our bodies?
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Go with me to 1 Corinthians 6:
19, 20, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.
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We find this very important
principle expressed once again
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that God is the owner, not only
of the world and its fullness,
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but He is our owner as well.
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This is what He says:
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Now it's become very common,
for example, for women who
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believe in abortion to think
that their body belongs to them,
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and they can do whatever
they wish with their body.
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They say, my body is mine,
and what I do with it doesn't
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make any difference.
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The fact is that the Bible tells
us very clearly that our body
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belongs to God, because first
of all God made it, and in the
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second place God redeemed
it through Jesus Christ.
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Notice also 1 Timothy 6:7.
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We're still on this first
principle, the principle that
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God is the owner of all.
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1 Timothy 6:7, the
apostle Paul says this,
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and it's absolutely very true.
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By the way, not even
the clothes that we wear.
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In other words,
while we live we have,
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when we die we have not.
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Which means that
everything that we have,
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everything that we
enjoy, belongs to God.
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And as He gives
us life, we have.
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And when we no longer
receive life, we no longer have.
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Some people say, well,
pastor, but all that I have
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I've worked hard for.
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Well, it's true that
you've worked hard for it,
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but let me ask you this,
who gave you the resources
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to be able to work?
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Who gave you lungs to
breathe, and a heart to beat?
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Who gave you a mouth
to speak, and eyes to see,
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and ears to hear, which
are so necessary for working,
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and for making money?
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Obviously, God has
given us all of the resources
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necessary to gain riches.
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In fact we find this
principle in Deuteronomy 8:18.
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If you go with me
there, Deuteronomy 8:18.
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As Israel was about to
go into the land of Canaan,
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God gave them a
very important warning.
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And notice what He
said in this warning.
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So notice that it is God
who gives us the power to gain
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wealth, because He gives us all
of the resources that we need
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in order to gain wealth.
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Perhaps we'll read only one more
text that deals with this first
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principle, that God is
the owner of everything.
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It's found in 1 Chronicles
29: 14, 1 Chronicles 29:14.
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Here David is speaking about
the building of the temple.
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And I want you to notice
what David has to say about the
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resources that people brought
for the building of the temple.
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He's going to actually say that
nothing that is brought belongs
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to the person who brings it.
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Once again, 1
Chronicles 29 and we'll read
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first of all, verse 14.
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Notice that they're just
returning to God what already
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belongs to God. And
then we'll go to verse 16.
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Actually, this is verse 15.
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And now verse 16.
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So they really weren't
giving anything to God.
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They were only
returning to God that which
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already belonged to Him.
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So our first principle is that
God is the owner of everything,
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because God was
the Creator of all.
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Now let's go to
principle number two.
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It's also found in Genesis.
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Principle number two is this:
even though God is the owner
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of all, He placed Adam and Eve,
and us as well now, who descend
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from them,...
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...of that which belongs to God.
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We are not owners, we are
administrators, or stewards of
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that which belongs to the owner;
that which belongs to God.
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Notice Genesis
1:28, Genesis 1: 28.
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God is speaking here about
the creation of Adam and Eve,
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and it says:
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And now comes the key
part that I want to underline.
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Notice that Adam and
Eve were given dominion.
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That means that they were
supposed to care for creation.
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They were supposed
to rule over creation.
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But they were not the owners,
they were the administrators,
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or stewards of God.
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Notice also Genesis 2:15.
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It's speaking here
specifically about Adam;
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when Adam was created.
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It says there in
chapter 2 and verse 15:
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Notice that Adam was placed
in the garden of Eden to take
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care of the
garden; to keep the garden.
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In other words, he
was God's gardener.
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He was God's steward, to
take care of that which had been
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made by the owner.
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What I'm saying is that
man does not own anything.
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We are only
administrators of God's goods.
00:14:04.21\00:14:08.84
Now there are some
principles of good stewardship,
00:14:08.87\00:14:12.05
and I'm not going to
look up these verses.
00:14:12.08\00:14:13.91
I'm only going to
mention the characteristics
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of a good steward.
00:14:16.98\00:14:18.19
In 1 Corinthians 4:2, the
apostle Paul says that the first
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and foremost requirement of
a steward, or an administrator,
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is that the
administrator be found faithful;
00:14:28.50\00:14:32.33
in other words trustworthy.
00:14:32.36\00:14:34.72
A steward, or an administrator,
of another person's goods
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must be absolutely honest
and faithful in everything
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that he does with that
which belongs to the owner.
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Another characteristic is found
in Matthew 25:27, where we have
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the parable of the talents.
00:14:54.38\00:14:56.20
And you remember that there
was one individual that received
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one talent, and he buried
the talent under the ground,
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because he hadn't received many?
00:15:02.57\00:15:04.46
And when Jesus comes He
demands an accounting from this
00:15:04.49\00:15:10.82
individual who
buried his talent.
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And He says, you
should have taken this talent,
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and you should have invested
it so that I could receive
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my own back with interest.
00:15:19.42\00:15:21.97
So notice that a good steward
not only enjoys that which
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belongs to the owner, but he
invests, and strengthens that
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which belongs to the owner.
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Which means that
God gives us strength.
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Through exercise we
are to gain more strength.
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God gives us money; we
are supposed to multiply that
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for His honor and glory.
00:15:40.51\00:15:41.80
God gives us time; we're
supposed to redeem the time,
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and take advantage of the time,
and invest our time wisely.
00:15:44.95\00:15:49.14
So characteristics of a good
steward: first of all faithful
00:15:49.17\00:15:53.57
or trustworthy, secondly invest
and multiply that which belongs
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to the owner, and one
further characteristic is that
00:15:58.35\00:16:02.01
eventually a steward is going
to have to render the owner
00:16:02.04\00:16:06.44
an account. In fact, we find
in Luke 16:2 that there was a
00:16:06.47\00:16:12.13
steward that had been
embezzling money from the
00:16:12.16\00:16:14.49
owner, and the owner brought
him before him, and he says,
00:16:14.52\00:16:18.21
I hear that you've been
embezzling money from me.
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.53
In other words, as
administrators of God's goods,
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someday we are going to have
to render Him an account for the
00:16:26.30\00:16:30.69
way that we have used the
resources that He has given us.
00:16:30.72\00:16:34.44
Now we've studied two
principles so far, both of them
00:16:34.47\00:16:38.34
in the book of
Genesis, and amplified elsewhere
00:16:38.37\00:16:41.71
in scripture. The first
principle is that God is the
00:16:41.74\00:16:45.38
owner of everything.
00:16:45.41\00:16:46.71
We own absolutely nothing.
00:16:46.74\00:16:48.79
The second principle is that
even though God is the owner,
00:16:48.82\00:16:52.16
we are the administrators of
the goods that belong to God.
00:16:52.19\00:16:57.34
In other words, we
should be faithful.
00:16:57.37\00:16:59.42
We should invest
what He has given us.
00:16:59.45\00:17:01.22
And we will have to render
an account, as His stewards,
00:17:01.25\00:17:04.71
or as His
administrators, someday.
00:17:04.74\00:17:07.44
Now let's go to
principle number three.
00:17:07.47\00:17:10.53
It's found in Genesis
2:16, 17, Genesis 2:16, 17.
00:17:10.56\00:17:20.04
You see, God was the owner.
00:17:20.07\00:17:22.36
Adam and Eve were the
stewards, or the administrators.
00:17:22.39\00:17:26.42
But there was something
which God reserved for Himself,
00:17:26.45\00:17:30.27
which was only the property
of the owner, which Adam and Eve
00:17:30.30\00:17:36.57
were not to use for themselves.
00:17:36.60\00:17:39.34
We find this in
Genesis 2:16, 17.
00:17:39.37\00:17:45.03
All of the trees in the
garden of Eden belonged to God,
00:18:02.34\00:18:05.84
no doubt whatsoever.
00:18:05.87\00:18:07.52
But this tree belonged
to God in a special sense,
00:18:07.55\00:18:12.26
in a special way.
00:18:12.29\00:18:13.60
And Adam and Eve could actually
enjoy the fruit of all of
00:18:13.63\00:18:17.60
the trees of the
garden, as God's administrators,
00:18:17.63\00:18:20.48
but this special tree God
conserved only for Himself.
00:18:20.51\00:18:26.68
Now let me ask you, is there
something that God has reserved
00:18:26.71\00:18:32.15
today only for Himself of
that which He has entrusted
00:18:32.18\00:18:36.72
us to administrate?
00:18:36.75\00:18:38.61
The answer is absolutely yes.
00:18:38.64\00:18:42.40
The Bible calls it the tithe.
00:18:42.43\00:18:46.18
Go with me to Leviticus
27:30, Leviticus 27:30.
00:18:46.21\00:18:55.51
Here we find a
reference to the tithe.
00:18:55.54\00:18:58.57
Tithe means ten percent.
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.67
It says there in verse 30:
00:19:00.70\00:19:03.33
So in the case of Israel,
all of the seeds they planted,
00:19:18.71\00:19:22.42
all of the animals that they
had, and so on, one out of every
00:19:22.45\00:19:27.50
ten belonged exclusively to God.
00:19:27.53\00:19:30.21
They were not
to administrate it.
00:19:30.24\00:19:32.91
They were not to use it.
00:19:32.94\00:19:34.59
God reserved it exclusively
to Himself, and for Himself.
00:19:34.62\00:19:40.08
I've heard people say,
well, Pastor Bohr, do you know
00:19:40.11\00:19:44.43
that the tithe was
actually something for the Jews
00:19:44.46\00:19:48.23
in the Old Testament?
00:19:48.26\00:19:49.39
The tithe is not
for Christians today.
00:19:49.43\00:19:51.98
You know, I find it kind of
interesting that people today,
00:19:52.01\00:19:55.88
anything that demands a change
of lifestyle was for the Jews.
00:19:55.91\00:19:59.75
People say, oh, the Sabbath?
00:19:59.78\00:20:01.56
No, that was for the Jews.
00:20:01.60\00:20:03.35
Healthful living and the
distinction between clean
00:20:03.38\00:20:06.06
and unclean foods?
00:20:06.09\00:20:07.19
That was for the Jews.
00:20:07.22\00:20:09.15
Tithing? Oh,
that was for the Jews.
00:20:09.18\00:20:11.93
Anything that requires a
sacrifice, or requires an
00:20:11.96\00:20:15.44
investment for God,
people say it was for the Jews.
00:20:15.47\00:20:19.32
By the way, do you
know that the tithe did not
00:20:19.35\00:20:22.26
originate with Moses?
00:20:22.29\00:20:23.77
The tithe originated way
back hundreds of years before
00:20:23.80\00:20:29.79
Moses ever lived.
00:20:29.82\00:20:30.94
We have two references to
tithe in the book of Genesis.
00:20:30.98\00:20:35.17
We have in Genesis
14:18-20, the story of Abraham.
00:20:35.20\00:20:41.03
You know, he went and he fought
against the kings that had
00:20:41.06\00:20:44.57
looted Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:20:44.60\00:20:47.28
And, of course, Lot
lived in Sodom, his relative.
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.08
And so Abraham went and
fought with them and he got
00:20:50.12\00:20:52.88
all of the loot back.
00:20:52.91\00:20:53.97
And as he's returning to
the city of Sodom, with all of
00:20:54.00\00:20:57.83
things that he had rescued,
he meets an individual called
00:20:57.86\00:21:01.88
Melchizedek, and
Melchizedek was a high priest
00:21:01.91\00:21:06.08
of the Most High God.
00:21:06.11\00:21:07.24
And the Bible says that Abraham
gave Melchizedek the tithes
00:21:07.28\00:21:13.69
of all of the loot
that he was bringing.
00:21:13.73\00:21:16.69
In other words, tithe is
mentioned in Genesis chapter 14.
00:21:16.72\00:21:21.20
It's mentioned in
the days of Abraham.
00:21:21.23\00:21:23.28
Long before Moses, at
least four or five hundred years
00:21:23.31\00:21:27.56
before Moses,
tithing was a practice.
00:21:27.59\00:21:30.71
So it doesn't have anything to
do with the Jews, or with Moses.
00:21:30.74\00:21:34.44
Furthermore we find
another reference to tithing
00:21:34.47\00:21:37.91
in the book of Genesis.
00:21:37.94\00:21:39.04
In Genesis 28 we have the story
of the ladder that Jacob saw
00:21:39.08\00:21:43.75
between heaven and earth.
00:21:43.79\00:21:45.02
It's been called Jacob's
ladder, but it's actually
00:21:45.06\00:21:47.74
the Lord's ladder.
00:21:47.78\00:21:48.81
And immediately after Jacob
sees that ladder in the dream,
00:21:48.84\00:21:53.21
and he wakes up, he
promises the Lord, he says:
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.59
...and you protect me along
the way, I will give you a third
00:21:58.13\00:22:03.29
of everything, or not a
third, a tenth of everything
00:22:03.32\00:22:07.40
that I receive, as a
result of Your blessing.
00:22:07.44\00:22:11.86
And so we find very clearly in
Genesis 28 that Jacob understood
00:22:11.89\00:22:18.24
the principle of the tithe.
00:22:18.27\00:22:19.98
He said, I will
return ten percent to You.
00:22:20.01\00:22:24.00
So we find a reference
to tithing in Genesis 14,
00:22:24.03\00:22:28.25
and we find a reference to
tithing in Genesis chapter 28,
00:22:28.28\00:22:32.80
long before Moses and
Israel came on the scene.
00:22:32.83\00:22:37.49
Now the question comes
up, why should we tithe?
00:22:37.52\00:22:41.62
What should the
tithe be used for?
00:22:41.65\00:22:44.01
If it belongs to God, it
comes through my hands, how am I
00:22:44.04\00:22:48.10
supposed to give it?
00:22:48.13\00:22:49.16
Where am I supposed to give
it, and what is the purpose or
00:22:49.19\00:22:52.04
intent for its use?
00:22:52.07\00:22:54.24
We find the answer to this
question in Numbers 18:20, 21,
00:22:54.27\00:23:01.35
Numbers 18:20, 21.
00:23:01.38\00:23:05.71
And while you're looking
for this passage in Numbers 18,
00:23:05.74\00:23:10.77
allow me to give you
a note of explanation.
00:23:10.80\00:23:12.67
When the children of Israel
left Egypt and they entered the
00:23:12.70\00:23:16.72
promised land of Canaan, God
gave each of the tribes a piece
00:23:16.75\00:23:20.83
of land to distribute
among the families that
00:23:20.86\00:23:23.38
belonged to that tribe.
00:23:23.41\00:23:24.56
Now allow me to say that
there was one tribe that did not
00:23:24.59\00:23:29.45
receive anything
in the land of Canaan.
00:23:29.48\00:23:32.97
They received no inheritance.
00:23:33.00\00:23:34.42
They received no land.
00:23:34.45\00:23:35.48
And so you say, well, if they
didn't receive any inheritance
00:23:35.51\00:23:39.26
how could they survive?
00:23:39.29\00:23:40.66
You know, they
couldn't raise animals
00:23:40.69\00:23:41.89
if they didn't have land.
00:23:41.92\00:23:42.95
They couldn't raise any
agricultural products if they
00:23:43.00\00:23:46.27
didn't have any land.
00:23:46.30\00:23:47.33
So how could they survive?
00:23:47.36\00:23:49.38
Well, the answer is very simple.
00:23:49.42\00:23:51.42
The tribe which received
no inheritance was Levi.
00:23:51.45\00:23:54.94
And God told the
Levites, You are going to work
00:23:54.98\00:23:58.44
in the Sanctuary.
00:23:58.47\00:23:59.50
You're going to
serve the spiritual needs
00:23:59.53\00:24:01.95
of the congregation.
00:24:01.98\00:24:03.25
And as remuneration for
your Spiritual service to the
00:24:03.28\00:24:07.04
congregation, the congregation
will bring the tithes
00:24:07.08\00:24:10.91
to the temple, and you will
live off of the tithes that are
00:24:10.95\00:24:14.93
brought by all of
the other eleven tribes.
00:24:14.96\00:24:17.87
Now let's notice this in
Numbers 20, and beginning with
00:24:17.91\00:24:22.45
verse 18, Numbers
18:20, Numbers 18:20.
00:24:22.48\00:24:34.71
It says here:
00:24:34.74\00:24:36.07
Several important
things in these two verses:
00:25:10.00\00:25:12.81
First of all, the tithe is given
to the Levites by the Lord.
00:25:12.84\00:25:17.14
The people brought the tithe,
yes, but the Lord was the One
00:25:17.18\00:25:21.48
who was giving the tithes to
the Levites, because the tithes
00:25:21.51\00:25:25.07
belonged to God.
00:25:25.11\00:25:27.01
Another important principle
is that the Levites had a
00:25:27.04\00:25:30.22
perfect right to receive the
tithes, so that they could live
00:25:30.26\00:25:34.00
on this money which was
brought, because they actually
00:25:34.03\00:25:37.61
served the spiritual
needs of the congregation.
00:25:37.64\00:25:41.15
A very important and interesting
detail that we find in
00:25:41.18\00:25:44.96
Numbers 18, is that
even the priests tithed.
00:25:45.00\00:25:50.48
I mean, how could the priests
ask the children of Israel to
00:25:50.51\00:25:53.60
tithe, if they didn't give
an example and tithe as well?
00:25:53.63\00:25:56.91
We find in Numbers 18:26,
that the priests also tithed.
00:25:56.94\00:26:04.16
Notice what we see here:
00:26:04.19\00:26:05.62
Notice that they were supposed
to offer the tithe of the tithe.
00:26:25.35\00:26:29.55
The priests were to give a good
example, and they were supposed
00:26:29.58\00:26:33.45
to tithe the tithes
that Israel brought.
00:26:33.48\00:26:37.14
Now let's notice the book of
Malachi 3:8, and we'll also read
00:26:37.17\00:26:43.37
the first part of verse 10.
00:26:43.40\00:26:45.58
Malachi is the last
book of the Old Testament,
00:26:45.61\00:26:48.45
chapter 3 and verse 8.
00:26:48.48\00:26:50.90
The question is
asked by God Himself:
00:26:50.94\00:26:54.27
And then notice
verse 10. God says:
00:27:09.29\00:27:11.64
Let's stop there.
00:27:18.85\00:27:20.40
God says bring all of the
tithes into the storehouse.
00:27:20.43\00:27:23.67
By the way, the storehouse
is an area in the temple where
00:27:23.70\00:27:27.75
the agricultural goods
were brought in and stored,
00:27:27.79\00:27:31.60
so that the Levites
could receive remuneration for
00:27:31.63\00:27:35.41
their work in the sanctuary.
00:27:35.44\00:27:37.25
So we find very clearly here
that God is saying to Israel,
00:27:37.28\00:27:41.36
you're not
paying a faithful tithe.
00:27:41.39\00:27:43.38
You are robbing Me.
00:27:43.41\00:27:44.91
So if we don't return to God
the portion that belongs to God,
00:27:44.95\00:27:49.50
we are actually robbing God.
00:27:49.53\00:27:51.79
We should bring all of the
tithes, and notice, all of the
00:27:51.82\00:27:55.88
offerings into
the Lord's storehouse.
00:27:55.91\00:27:59.18
Now some people say,
well, this was only for the Jews
00:27:59.21\00:28:02.69
in the Old Testament.
00:28:02.72\00:28:03.83
Jesus didn't teach us that
we're supposed to tithe, did He?
00:28:03.86\00:28:07.29
Well, the fact
is that Jesus did.
00:28:07.32\00:28:09.23
In Matthew 23:23 the Lord Jesus
actually rebuked the Pharisees.
00:28:09.26\00:28:16.12
He says, you tithe the
mint, the dill, and the cumin
00:28:16.16\00:28:21.93
which are, by the
way, little tiny seeds.
00:28:21.97\00:28:24.77
which are things like:
00:28:28.32\00:28:29.88
And then Jesus says, you
should have done the tithing,
00:28:33.25\00:28:39.19
and also have
justice, mercy, and faith.
00:28:39.22\00:28:43.81
You should have done
these without leaving
00:28:43.84\00:28:46.35
the others undone.
00:28:46.38\00:28:47.65
In other words, Jesus implicitly
taught that we are supposed
00:28:47.68\00:28:52.60
to tithe, as well as have
mercy, and justice, and faith.
00:28:52.63\00:28:56.80
Some people wonder why
Jesus did not reenact the tithe,
00:28:56.83\00:29:00.89
and say clearly,
you're supposed to tithe,
00:29:00.92\00:29:04.01
just like in the Old Testament.
00:29:04.04\00:29:05.76
The fact is folks, that
Jesus didn't have to say that,
00:29:05.79\00:29:08.60
because everybody
was practicing the tithe.
00:29:08.63\00:29:10.87
The same is true of the Sabbath.
00:29:10.91\00:29:12.73
You won't find one reference
of Jesus in the New Testament
00:29:12.76\00:29:15.83
that says, you
shall keep the Sabbath,
00:29:15.86\00:29:17.98
at least in the
gospels, keep the Sabbath holy.
00:29:18.01\00:29:21.62
And yet Jesus went into
the synagogue on Sabbath.
00:29:21.65\00:29:25.25
Jesus kept the Sabbath.
00:29:25.29\00:29:26.82
Jesus taught the true
meaning of the Sabbath.
00:29:26.85\00:29:28.96
But Jesus did not have to make
a command to keep the Sabbath,
00:29:28.99\00:29:33.49
because all of the Jews claimed
to be keeping the Sabbath.
00:29:33.52\00:29:36.32
Jesus simply had to correct the
wrong view that they had about
00:29:36.35\00:29:40.55
the tithe, because they were
tithing and they didn't have
00:29:40.58\00:29:43.31
mercy, justice, and faith.
00:29:43.34\00:29:44.92
They were keeping the Sabbath,
so called, but they were not
00:29:44.95\00:29:48.24
having mercy on people.
00:29:48.27\00:29:49.51
They had lost the
meaning of the Sabbath.
00:29:49.54\00:29:51.62
And so Jesus is saying,
you should have mercy, justice,
00:29:51.66\00:29:55.68
and faith, and you
should also tithe as well.
00:29:55.71\00:29:58.96
Now what about the
rest of the New Testament?
00:29:58.99\00:30:02.20
Does the New Testament re-enact
the principle of the tithe?
00:30:02.23\00:30:06.52
Well, the apostle
Paul certainly does.
00:30:06.55\00:30:09.03
I want to just mention from
1 Corinthians 9, we're going to
00:30:09.07\00:30:13.04
read verses 13 and 14 in a
moment, but I need to give you
00:30:13.07\00:30:17.01
the previous context.
00:30:17.04\00:30:18.60
The apostle Paul here is
speaking specifically about
00:30:18.63\00:30:22.12
the tithe, and he gives three
examples that are not Biblical,
00:30:22.15\00:30:26.62
and then he gives two Biblical
examples to show that the
00:30:26.65\00:30:30.10
tithing principle is
still binding upon Christians.
00:30:30.14\00:30:33.71
First of all he says,
what person goes to war
00:30:33.74\00:30:37.38
at his own expense?
00:30:37.42\00:30:39.03
I mean, what would it be like
if our president said to all of
00:30:39.06\00:30:42.83
our soldiers, I want you to
go fight this war over in Iraq.
00:30:42.86\00:30:46.63
And I want you to pay for your
own airfare, and you'll pay for
00:30:46.66\00:30:50.40
your own meals in the airplane.
00:30:50.43\00:30:52.36
And when you get there
you're going to have to pay for
00:30:52.39\00:30:55.02
your own hotel, and
your own food in restaurants.
00:30:55.09\00:30:57.84
I mean how many people would
go to war if that was the case?
00:30:57.87\00:31:01.05
Obviously, not very many!
00:31:01.08\00:31:02.70
And so the apostle Paul says, if
you go to war, you're going to
00:31:02.73\00:31:06.68
live off of the funds of
the one who sends you to war.
00:31:06.71\00:31:10.87
And then he goes on to
say, If you plant a vineyard,
00:31:10.90\00:31:14.04
you're going to be able to eat
the grapes from the vineyard.
00:31:14.07\00:31:17.36
And then he
gives a third example.
00:31:17.39\00:31:19.39
He says, if you raise a flock
of cows, you have a right to
00:31:19.43\00:31:24.00
drink the milk that the cows
produce, because you are worthy
00:31:24.03\00:31:27.96
of the work that you perform.
00:31:27.99\00:31:29.98
And then he's going to apply
that principle to those who
00:31:30.01\00:31:33.82
preach the gospel.
00:31:33.85\00:31:34.88
He's going to say, if you preach
the gospel, you have a right
00:31:34.91\00:31:37.82
to live from the tithes that are
given by those who are receiving
00:31:37.85\00:31:42.53
the preaching of the gospel.
00:31:42.56\00:31:43.89
Let's go to 1 Corinthians 9:13,
14, where we find the Biblical
00:31:43.92\00:31:51.00
argument. By the way, there's
another Biblical argument also.
00:31:51.03\00:31:54.40
The apostle Paul quotes from the
book of Deuteronomy, which says
00:31:54.44\00:31:57.80
you shall not muzzle an ox
when he treads the grainery.
00:31:57.83\00:32:02.17
You see, the oxen were used to
tread the grainery to shred the
00:32:02.20\00:32:07.51
grain, and a muzzle was
not to be put on their mouth,
00:32:07.54\00:32:12.09
because as they were
working, they had a right to eat
00:32:12.12\00:32:15.78
of the grain that
was on the ground,
00:32:15.82\00:32:17.80
because they were working.
00:32:17.83\00:32:18.86
And the apostle Paul
actually uses the argument from
00:32:18.89\00:32:22.16
Deuteronomy to show that that
principle applies to ministers
00:32:22.19\00:32:27.21
working in the gospel, and being
remunerated for their work.
00:32:27.24\00:32:30.45
Notice 1 Corinthians 9:1-14.
00:32:30.48\00:32:40.26
That's where the whole passage
is, but let's read specifically
00:32:40.29\00:32:43.78
verses 13 and 14.
00:32:43.81\00:32:46.81
Here the apostle Paul
says the following words:
00:32:46.84\00:32:53.32
verses 13 and 14 of chapter 9.
00:32:53.35\00:32:58.41
Do you not know that those
who minister the holy things
00:32:58.45\00:33:04.87
eat of the things of the temple?
and those who serve at the altar
00:33:04.90\00:33:11.93
partake of the
offerings of the altar?
00:33:11.96\00:33:14.37
Notice, those who serve in
the temple, those who serve
00:33:14.40\00:33:17.73
at the altar, they
partake of the things of the
00:33:18.01\00:33:20.39
temple and the altar.
00:33:20.51\00:33:21.54
That's referring to the
tithes that were brought.
00:33:21.57\00:33:23.22
And then notice verse 14:
Even so the Lord has suggested.
00:33:23.25\00:33:29.74
Is that what it says?
00:33:29.77\00:33:31.72
Even so the
Lord has recommended.
00:33:31.75\00:33:34.99
Is that what it says? No.
00:33:35.02\00:33:38.36
Even so the Lord has commanded
that those who preach the gospel
00:33:38.39\00:33:45.04
should live from the gospel.
00:33:45.07\00:33:47.96
Obviously, he's taking the
example of the priests that
00:33:47.99\00:33:51.67
served at the altar,
and served at the temple,
00:33:51.70\00:33:53.75
priests that ministered to
the spiritual needs of Israel,
00:33:53.78\00:33:57.59
and he's saying the same applies
today to those who preach
00:33:57.62\00:34:02.07
the gospel; those who preach
the gospel should eat from the
00:34:02.10\00:34:05.89
gospel. In other words,
they should be remunerated from
00:34:05.92\00:34:09.70
the tithes. So we've
studied three principles so far.
00:34:09.73\00:34:13.66
Principle 1. God is
the owner of everything.
00:34:13.70\00:34:16.92
Principle 2. Even though God
is the owner, He has placed us
00:34:16.95\00:34:21.89
as His stewards,
or His administrators.
00:34:21.92\00:34:24.69
Principle 3. God has reserved
for Himself something which is
00:34:24.72\00:34:29.90
exclusively for Him.
00:34:29.93\00:34:31.97
It is not to be used by
us, and that is the tithe.
00:34:32.00\00:34:36.86
Now there's a fourth principle,
which is extremely important.
00:34:36.89\00:34:40.67
We find this one in
Genesis 1: 28, Genesis 1:28.
00:34:40.70\00:34:48.71
And then we're going to go
to another verse that we find in
00:34:48.74\00:34:52.68
Genesis 2. But anyway,
in Genesis 1:28 it says:
00:34:52.72\00:34:58.17
Notice, God blessed them.
00:35:12.78\00:35:15.49
Now what was the condition
for them continuing to enjoy
00:35:15.53\00:35:19.33
the Lord's blessing?
00:35:19.36\00:35:20.39
Well, we know that
there was a condition.
00:35:20.42\00:35:23.26
We find it in Genesis 2:16, 17,
which we already read before,
00:35:23.30\00:35:29.50
but let's read it again.
00:35:29.53\00:35:30.80
It says here, And the Lord
God commanded the man, saying,
00:35:30.84\00:35:33.95
Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat:
00:35:33.98\00:35:36.27
But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, you shall not
00:35:36.30\00:35:39.42
eat: for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die.
00:35:39.45\00:35:43.25
Notice God is saying,
look, I blessed you, and I bless
00:35:43.29\00:35:46.75
everything connected with you.
00:35:46.78\00:35:48.11
But I have this tree
that I want you to respect:
00:35:48.14\00:35:51.26
the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
00:35:51.29\00:35:53.21
All of the other
trees belong to Me, too.
00:35:53.24\00:35:55.04
You can use them, you can
administrate them, but when it
00:35:55.07\00:35:58.19
comes to this
tree, it's off limits.
00:35:58.22\00:36:00.06
It belongs exclusively to Me.
00:36:00.09\00:36:01.95
Now God says, if you partake of
this tree, you're going to die.
00:36:01.98\00:36:05.36
You know, it's no coincidence
that immediately after Adam
00:36:05.40\00:36:09.87
and Eve sinned, the word
curse is used three times
00:36:09.90\00:36:14.73
in Genesis 3 and 4.
00:36:14.76\00:36:17.42
The earth is cursed, the serpent
is cursed, and Cain is cursed.
00:36:17.45\00:36:22.59
What God is saying, is if you
respect my tree, and you don't
00:36:22.62\00:36:30.93
use it for yourself, you will
continue to enjoy the blessing.
00:36:30.96\00:36:34.99
If you, however, disrespect
My tree, and use it for your own
00:36:35.02\00:36:39.04
purposes, then the
curse is going to come.
00:36:39.07\00:36:42.68
And, by the way, it's not the
case that God is sitting there
00:36:42.71\00:36:45.48
on His throne, He's saying, boy
I'm just going to wait to see
00:36:45.51\00:36:47.85
who's going to tithe and
who isn't, because I'm just
00:36:47.88\00:36:49.99
dying to curse someone.
00:36:50.02\00:36:51.48
That's not the case.
00:36:51.51\00:36:52.80
The case is that we bring
a curse upon ourselves by not
00:36:52.83\00:36:57.85
respecting that
which belongs to God.
00:36:57.88\00:36:59.75
And so the fourth principle
is that if we respect God's
00:36:59.78\00:37:03.52
portion, that He has reserved
for Himself, which now is the
00:37:03.55\00:37:06.89
tithe, a blessing comes upon us.
00:37:06.92\00:37:10.01
If, on the other hand, we use
the tithe for our own personal
00:37:10.04\00:37:14.43
benefit, and for our
own expenses, the result is
00:37:14.46\00:37:18.29
the curse, just like it
says in the book of Genesis.
00:37:18.32\00:37:21.76
By the way, we find this same
principle in the book of Malachi
00:37:21.79\00:37:26.17
chapter 3, Malachi chapter
3, and I would like to read
00:37:26.20\00:37:30.57
verses 9 and 10,
Malachi 3: 9, 10.
00:37:30.60\00:37:35.45
God says to Israel:
00:37:35.48\00:37:37.07
What have they robbed Him from?
00:37:44.29\00:37:46.64
We noticed already in verse
8, in tithes and offerings.
00:37:46.67\00:37:50.25
Verse 10.
00:37:50.28\00:37:51.31
Notice what God is saying.
00:38:11.62\00:38:12.83
He's saying, if you respect the
tithe; if you bring the tithes
00:38:12.86\00:38:16.05
to the storehouse, I will pour
out upon you a blessing so great
00:38:16.08\00:38:20.76
that you will not
have room to receive it.
00:38:20.79\00:38:23.25
Now let me explain something.
00:38:23.28\00:38:25.02
We do not tithe in
order to be blessed.
00:38:25.05\00:38:28.40
We do not tithe
because we are blessed.
00:38:28.43\00:38:33.09
We tithe and we are blessed.
00:38:33.12\00:38:37.87
I'm going to repeat that again.
00:38:37.90\00:38:40.10
We do not tithe in
order to be blessed.
00:38:40.13\00:38:43.31
We do not tithe
because we are blessed.
00:38:43.34\00:38:47.22
We tithe and we are blessed.
00:38:47.25\00:38:51.25
In other words, we're not
mercenaries in the service
00:38:51.28\00:38:53.79
of God; where God says, if
you're faithful in your taxes,
00:38:53.82\00:38:57.09
I won't curse you.
00:38:57.12\00:38:58.17
God is not a heavenly IRS agent.
00:38:58.20\00:39:00.37
In fact, the reason why
I tithe is because it's a
00:39:00.40\00:39:04.42
matter of principle.
00:39:04.45\00:39:05.58
The tithe, I know,
doesn't belong to me.
00:39:05.61\00:39:08.10
It belongs to God, pure
and simple, and therefore
00:39:08.13\00:39:11.45
it comes through my
checkbook, and it goes out
00:39:11.48\00:39:14.75
on the other side.
00:39:14.78\00:39:15.81
I bring it to church, because
I know that it's not mine.
00:39:15.84\00:39:18.85
I know that it is His.
00:39:18.89\00:39:20.86
But even if I didn't receive
blessings, I would still give
00:39:20.89\00:39:24.45
the tithe, or return the tithe,
because it belongs to God,
00:39:24.48\00:39:28.69
as a matter of principle.
00:39:28.72\00:39:30.34
Now I'd like to share with
you two stories that we find
00:39:30.37\00:39:33.81
in the Old Testament that
illustrate these two principles,
00:39:33.84\00:39:37.16
or these four principles,
actually, not only the last
00:39:37.19\00:39:40.46
two, but all four.
00:39:40.49\00:39:41.52
The fact that God is
the owner of everything.
00:39:41.55\00:39:44.20
The fact that we
are His stewards.
00:39:44.23\00:39:46.19
The fact that God has
reserved something for Himself.
00:39:46.22\00:39:48.81
And the fact that we receive
a blessing if we reserve that
00:39:48.84\00:39:52.45
which God has
reserved only for Himself.
00:39:52.48\00:39:55.61
And we bring a curse if
we use that which God has
00:39:55.64\00:39:58.81
reserved for Himself.
00:39:58.84\00:39:59.92
The first example that I would
like to give is from the story
00:39:59.95\00:40:03.83
that we find in 1 Kings 17.
00:40:03.86\00:40:06.07
And we're not
going to look it up.
00:40:06.10\00:40:07.13
You can look it up
in your spare time.
00:40:07.16\00:40:08.50
It's in your list of texts.
00:40:08.53\00:40:10.15
But, anyway, it's
the story of Elijah.
00:40:10.18\00:40:12.08
God told Elijah, I want you
to go to the city of Zarepath.
00:40:12.11\00:40:15.15
And there you're going to find
a widow that's going to sustain
00:40:15.18\00:40:18.21
you until it rains
again upon the earth,
00:40:18.24\00:40:21.83
because Elijah was fleeing.
00:40:21.86\00:40:23.31
It hadn't rained
for about three years.
00:40:23.34\00:40:25.25
So Elijah goes to Zarepath,
and as he's coming into the town
00:40:25.28\00:40:29.09
he meets this little widow.
00:40:29.12\00:40:30.94
And she's picking up a
few sticks to build a fire,
00:40:30.97\00:40:34.08
and to prepare her last meal,
because she just has a little
00:40:34.11\00:40:36.81
bit of flour, and a
little bit of oil left.
00:40:36.84\00:40:39.41
And so when Elijah sees her
he says to her, ah, please bring
00:40:39.44\00:40:43.25
me a cup of water.
00:40:43.28\00:40:44.31
That was a real luxury, by the
way, because it hadn't rained
00:40:44.34\00:40:47.72
for three years. So the little
widow, she's going to bring
00:40:47.75\00:40:51.23
Elijah the cup of water, and
Elijah says, as she's going on
00:40:51.26\00:40:55.48
this errand, he says, oh, by the
way, bring me also some bread.
00:40:55.51\00:40:59.64
And the widow looks at him and
she says, listen, I have just a
00:40:59.67\00:41:03.14
little bit of flour,
and a little bit of oil,
00:41:03.17\00:41:04.80
and I'm going to go prepare
just a couple of loaves of bread
00:41:04.83\00:41:08.47
and then my son and I are
going to die, because we're not
00:41:08.50\00:41:11.07
going to have
anything more to eat.
00:41:11.10\00:41:12.48
And Elijah says something
very strange to this widow.
00:41:12.51\00:41:15.78
He says, listen, go
and do as you have said.
00:41:15.81\00:41:19.75
Go and prepare the bread,
but bring me a small loaf first.
00:41:19.78\00:41:27.04
Now that's interesting.
00:41:27.07\00:41:29.72
Elijah was God's minister.
00:41:29.75\00:41:32.24
And Elijah says to her,
bring the small loaf first.
00:41:32.27\00:41:38.92
And then Elijah makes a
promise, actually it's a promise
00:41:38.95\00:41:42.72
of God through Elijah.
00:41:42.75\00:41:44.07
Elijah says, if you do this,
if you bring me the small loaf
00:41:44.10\00:41:48.22
of bread first, God promises
that the oil will not be
00:41:48.25\00:41:53.14
lacking, and the flour will
not be lacking until it rains
00:41:53.17\00:41:56.87
again upon the earth.
00:41:56.90\00:41:58.45
Now the widow had
to make a decision.
00:41:58.48\00:42:00.61
She had to say, well, is it
better just go ahead and enjoy
00:42:00.64\00:42:03.80
a full meal now and then
die, or is it better to risk it
00:42:03.83\00:42:07.60
and give God's prophet the
little loaf of bread first?
00:42:07.63\00:42:11.38
Well, all I need to say is that
the little widow decided that
00:42:11.41\00:42:14.74
she would give the little loaf
of bread to the prophet first.
00:42:14.77\00:42:18.06
And do you know what?
00:42:18.09\00:42:19.12
That barrel of flower, and
that flask of oil produced flour
00:42:19.15\00:42:23.78
and oil continuously until
it rained again upon the earth.
00:42:23.81\00:42:29.15
God, connected with the
tithe, always gives a promise.
00:42:29.18\00:42:33.59
He says, if you are faithful
in your tithes and offerings,
00:42:33.62\00:42:37.24
I promise that I
will not forsake you.
00:42:37.27\00:42:41.37
I will not leave you.
00:42:41.40\00:42:43.01
I will provide for you.
00:42:43.04\00:42:44.61
But folks, the only way that
we can know that that is true,
00:42:44.65\00:42:48.58
is if we test
God, or if we try God.
00:42:48.62\00:42:52.39
In other words, we have to step
out in faith, and we have to
00:42:52.42\00:42:55.61
say, I'm going to
respect God's tithes.
00:42:55.64\00:42:57.94
I'm going to give offerings,
and God promises that He's not
00:42:57.97\00:43:03.26
going to forsake me, and
He's not going to leave me.
00:43:03.30\00:43:05.32
If we don't do that, we'll
never know whether God's promise
00:43:05.35\00:43:09.66
was going to be fulfilled
or not, because it won't be
00:43:09.69\00:43:12.53
fulfilled with us.
00:43:12.56\00:43:14.40
Another story which we
find in the Old Testament,
00:43:14.43\00:43:17.13
which is really interesting,
is the story of Joseph.
00:43:17.17\00:43:19.87
Genesis 39:1-9 has this story.
00:43:19.90\00:43:23.73
Joseph, of course, was
taken as a slave to Egypt.
00:43:23.76\00:43:27.07
And he ended up in the
house of a man named Potiphar.
00:43:27.10\00:43:30.37
And Potiphar developed a
real trusting relationship with
00:43:30.40\00:43:34.74
Joseph. In fact, Joseph was the
steward, it says in Genesis 39,
00:43:34.77\00:43:40.18
of Potiphar's house.
00:43:40.22\00:43:41.25
And Potiphar trusted Joseph
so much that, we're told there
00:43:41.28\00:43:45.77
in that passage, that Potiphar
didn't even know how many
00:43:45.80\00:43:48.83
many possessions he had.
00:43:48.86\00:43:49.94
He didn't know what he owned.
00:43:49.97\00:43:51.10
Basically all he knew was that
he would come and he would eat
00:43:51.13\00:43:54.62
his meals at the table, because
he trusted Joseph so much.
00:43:54.66\00:43:58.14
Joseph was a faithful steward.
00:43:58.17\00:44:00.47
But I want you to notice in this
story that there was something
00:44:00.51\00:44:03.47
which Potiphar had
reserved only for himself,
00:44:03.50\00:44:05.94
and that was his wife.
00:44:05.97\00:44:07.10
And Joseph, to show that
he was a faithful steward,
00:44:07.13\00:44:10.29
had to respect that
which Potiphar had reserved
00:44:10.32\00:44:14.27
only for himself, and
that was Potiphar's wife.
00:44:14.30\00:44:17.51
Notice how we find
the principles here.
00:44:17.55\00:44:19.66
We find the principles
that Joseph recognized that
00:44:19.69\00:44:23.16
Potiphar was the owner.
00:44:23.19\00:44:24.49
Joseph was a faithful steward.
00:44:24.52\00:44:26.88
Potiphar had reserved something
for himself, which Joseph was
00:44:26.91\00:44:31.32
not to use for himself.
00:44:31.35\00:44:32.84
He could use everything
else, but he could not use
00:44:32.87\00:44:35.75
Potiphar's wife. You
say, well, but wait a minute.
00:44:35.78\00:44:38.99
What about the
blessing and the curse?
00:44:39.02\00:44:40.79
Wasn't Joseph cursed
because he was faithful to God
00:44:40.82\00:44:44.28
rather than being blessed?
00:44:44.32\00:44:45.72
Well, it would appear so in the
immediate context, but I'm not
00:44:45.76\00:44:51.42
going to get into the story.
00:44:51.46\00:44:52.55
As a result of Joseph's
faithfulness in respecting the
00:44:52.58\00:44:57.01
wife of Potiphar, as well
as obeying the law of God,
00:44:57.05\00:45:01.47
thou shalt not commit adultery,
Joseph became the savior
00:45:01.51\00:45:05.58
of his father and his brothers,
and he preserved the seed
00:45:05.61\00:45:09.37
through whom the
Messiah would eventually come.
00:45:09.41\00:45:12.23
So if you look at it in
the long range situation,
00:45:12.26\00:45:15.96
you'll find that Joseph's
faithfulness in respecting that
00:45:15.99\00:45:20.37
which Potiphar had
reserved for himself,
00:45:20.41\00:45:22.41
brought a huge blessing.
00:45:22.44\00:45:25.20
Now we need to talk a
little bit about offerings.
00:45:25.23\00:45:28.97
You say, wow, so we're supposed
to return to God ten percent,
00:45:29.00\00:45:33.31
and we're also supposed
to return offerings to God?
00:45:33.34\00:45:36.02
Boy, God is really
asking a lot from us.
00:45:36.05\00:45:38.73
Well, I don't think God
is asking that much from us.
00:45:38.76\00:45:41.74
Let me give you an example.
00:45:41.77\00:45:42.80
Let's talk about someone
like Bill Gates, for example.
00:45:42.83\00:45:47.92
What if Bill Gates came to you.
00:45:47.95\00:45:50.09
He's the owner of Microsoft,
by the way, if you don't know.
00:45:50.13\00:45:52.62
He comes to you and he says,
I'm going to open this company,
00:45:52.65\00:45:55.65
and I'm going to
provide all of the capital,
00:45:55.68\00:45:57.63
all of the technology,
all of the personnel.
00:45:57.66\00:46:00.36
I'm going to provide you
with everything that you need
00:46:00.39\00:46:03.13
for this business
enterprise to be successful.
00:46:03.16\00:46:06.68
And he says, I want
you to be the administrator
00:46:06.71\00:46:09.00
of that company, and I'll
tell you what I want you to do.
00:46:09.03\00:46:13.71
You administrate the company,
you can keep ninety percent
00:46:13.74\00:46:18.41
of the proceeds or of
the profit from the company,
00:46:18.44\00:46:22.85
and I want you to
return to me ten percent.
00:46:22.88\00:46:25.48
Would you say,
man, what a stingy guy?
00:46:25.51\00:46:29.78
You mean to say that he expects
me to return ten percent to him?
00:46:29.82\00:46:34.22
Listen, folks, God has given us
all the resources in the world,
00:46:34.25\00:46:37.78
and He only requires that
we recognize that ten percent
00:46:37.81\00:46:42.19
belongs to Him, but He
also wants us to show our
00:46:42.22\00:46:46.02
gratefulness, our thankfulness
to Him by returning offerings.
00:46:46.05\00:46:51.38
You know, there's a very
interesting word which appears
00:46:51.41\00:46:55.30
constantly in scripture,
and that is the word give.
00:46:55.33\00:47:00.06
Do you know that God's
kingdom is based on giving?
00:47:00.09\00:47:04.82
Satan's kingdom is based on
selfishness and covetousness?
00:47:04.85\00:47:10.29
Allow me just to mention some
verses in scripture that use
00:47:10.32\00:47:14.60
this little word with
reference to God, and to Christ.
00:47:14.63\00:47:18.36
The apostle Paul, in Acts 20:35,
quotes the Lord Jesus as saying:
00:47:18.40\00:47:24.42
It is more blessed to
give than it is to what?
00:47:24.46\00:47:29.29
It is more blessed to
give than it is to receive.
00:47:29.33\00:47:34.13
We find also in John 3:16...
00:47:34.16\00:47:37.62
We don't even have
to look up that verse.
00:47:37.65\00:47:39.82
Notice once again, more
blessed to give than to receive.
00:47:49.15\00:47:52.31
God gave His only begotten Son.
00:47:52.35\00:47:55.72
We have Matthew 20:28,
the same idea. Jesus says:
00:47:55.75\00:48:01.13
Notice once again the
emphasis upon the word give.
00:48:09.61\00:48:13.28
Luke 6:38 we
find that Jesus says:
00:48:13.31\00:48:18.48
Notice once again, that if you
give, it will be given unto you.
00:48:32.67\00:48:37.42
Also we find the
experience of Zaccaheus.
00:48:37.45\00:48:40.75
You know, Zaccheus
was a pretty selfish man.
00:48:40.78\00:48:44.08
He actually extorted money.
00:48:44.11\00:48:46.02
He was like a tax collector,
and he extorted more money than
00:48:46.06\00:48:51.07
what people owed to
the Roman government.
00:48:51.10\00:48:53.35
And when Zaccheus met
Jesus on the road to Jericho,
00:48:53.38\00:48:59.58
we find that Zaccheus, you know,
he wanted to catch a glimpse
00:48:59.61\00:49:04.12
of Jesus, and Jesus knew all the
time that he was in the sycamore
00:49:04.15\00:49:07.22
tree, and so Jesus
says, Zaccheus, come down for
00:49:07.25\00:49:12.02
I'm going to go
to your house today.
00:49:12.05\00:49:13.70
And Zaccheus accepted Jesus
Christ as his Savior and Lord.
00:49:13.74\00:49:18.77
His heart was
converted to the Lord.
00:49:18.81\00:49:21.62
Now I want you to
notice what the first result
00:49:21.66\00:49:24.33
of his conversion was.
00:49:24.37\00:49:25.49
Zaccheus stood publicly,
we're told there in Luke 19.
00:49:25.53\00:49:30.01
He publicly stood and he said:
00:49:30.04\00:49:32.19
In other words
four times more I give.
00:49:45.62\00:49:47.63
And some people say, why
would Zaccheus only give half
00:49:47.67\00:49:52.03
of his goods to the poor?
00:49:52.06\00:49:53.43
Well, the fact is, he probably
needed the other half to restore
00:49:53.47\00:49:56.93
fourfold to the
people that he had defrauded.
00:49:56.96\00:49:59.90
But I want you to notice
that when Zaccheus is converted
00:49:59.93\00:50:02.83
the first result is
that he considers money
00:50:02.86\00:50:06.33
in a different way.
00:50:06.36\00:50:07.46
He reckons money is
a different fashion.
00:50:07.49\00:50:10.49
Now instead of hoarding riches,
instead of extorting money,
00:50:10.52\00:50:15.95
instead of keeping
money, now he is a giver.
00:50:15.98\00:50:20.13
We find many
examples in scripture of this.
00:50:20.17\00:50:24.32
You know, here in the
San Joaquin Valley we have,
00:50:24.35\00:50:28.64
on the eastern ridge
we have the Sierra Nevada;
00:50:28.67\00:50:32.84
just absolutely beautiful this
time of year, in the winter,
00:50:32.87\00:50:36.28
you know, on a clear day.
00:50:36.31\00:50:37.73
Today was a very clear day.
00:50:37.76\00:50:39.11
You have the
snow capped mountains.
00:50:39.14\00:50:40.91
I want you to think
about the cycle of water.
00:50:40.94\00:50:44.04
You know, in the springtime
the snow on those mountains
00:50:44.07\00:50:47.95
melts. And the snow melts,
trickles down the mountain
00:50:47.98\00:50:53.29
side in little brooks,
and the brooks become streams,
00:50:53.32\00:50:56.77
and then those streams
go into the Kings River,
00:50:56.80\00:51:00.35
and the Kings River
goes into the reservoirs,
00:51:00.38\00:51:02.89
it goes into the ocean
eventually, some of that water,
00:51:02.92\00:51:06.40
and then, of course, the
water goes from the ocean and
00:51:06.43\00:51:09.52
condenses, goes into the clouds,
and then the clouds send,
00:51:09.55\00:51:12.78
once again, their snow or
their rain upon the mountains,
00:51:12.81\00:51:15.53
and the process
begins all over again.
00:51:15.56\00:51:17.83
That's the cycle of water.
00:51:17.86\00:51:19.97
You know, the clouds give
their snow to the mountains.
00:51:20.00\00:51:23.53
The mountains give
their water to the streams.
00:51:23.56\00:51:25.85
The streams give
their water to the rivers.
00:51:25.88\00:51:28.60
The rivers give
their water to the ocean.
00:51:28.63\00:51:31.93
The oceans give
their water to the clouds.
00:51:31.96\00:51:34.17
And once again the cycle begins.
00:51:34.20\00:51:36.14
If at any point any of
these steps ceased to give,
00:51:36.17\00:51:41.57
life would cease to exist.
00:51:41.60\00:51:45.37
All of nature teaches
the principle of giving.
00:51:45.40\00:51:50.09
Let's notice Mark 12:43, 44.
00:51:50.12\00:51:55.89
This is speaking about
an offering which was given
00:51:55.92\00:51:58.34
in the temple. Mark 12:43, 44.
00:51:58.37\00:52:03.53
This is the experience of
the little widow who put in her
00:52:03.56\00:52:07.26
two mites in the
treasury of the temple.
00:52:07.29\00:52:10.05
Actually, I'm going to
begin reading at verse 41
00:52:10.08\00:52:12.58
for the context. It
says: Now Jesus sat opposite
00:52:12.61\00:52:17.94
the treasury and saw
how the people put money
00:52:17.97\00:52:22.26
into the treasury, and
many who were rich put in much.
00:52:22.29\00:52:27.71
I can imagine them just taking
their coins and dropping them
00:52:27.74\00:52:32.61
from high up, so that everybody
could hear all of the money
00:52:32.64\00:52:36.03
that we're
putting into the treasury.
00:52:36.06\00:52:37.96
But now I want you to notice,
among all of those rich people
00:52:37.99\00:52:41.01
comes this poor little widow.
00:52:41.04\00:52:42.66
Verse 42. Then one poor widow
came and threw in two mites,
00:52:42.69\00:52:48.22
which make a quadrance, a
very insignificant amount.
00:52:48.25\00:52:51.75
Not more in amount, but
she gave more in principle.
00:53:04.38\00:53:08.35
Why? Notice verse 44:
00:53:08.38\00:53:11.29
Do you know that our generosity
is not measured by how much we
00:53:23.00\00:53:26.21
give, but by how much we
have left after we have given?
00:53:26.24\00:53:30.27
Sacrifice is not measured by
the amount that we contribute,
00:53:30.30\00:53:34.80
it's measured by the
amount that we have left after
00:53:34.83\00:53:38.27
we have contributed.
00:53:38.30\00:53:39.48
She gave more because she
gave everything that she had,
00:53:39.51\00:53:43.76
because she
believed in the cause of God.
00:53:43.79\00:53:47.06
You know, we should really
follow the example of Jesus.
00:53:47.09\00:53:50.34
2 Corinthians 8:9 says,
that though Jesus was rich,
00:53:50.37\00:53:56.31
he became poor...
00:53:56.34\00:53:58.78
Jesus did not consider the
riches and the glory of heaven
00:54:03.43\00:54:07.11
something to be grasped,
or something to be hung onto.
00:54:07.14\00:54:10.80
Jesus was willing to give it all
up in order to save us from sin,
00:54:10.83\00:54:15.56
so that we could
be in His kingdom.
00:54:15.59\00:54:17.52
Those who have the heart
of Jesus will have the same
00:54:17.55\00:54:20.71
priorities as Jesus does.
00:54:20.74\00:54:22.80
The Apostle Paul tells us in
1 Timothy 6:9, 10, that the love
00:54:22.83\00:54:28.65
of money is the root
of all kinds of evil.
00:54:28.68\00:54:33.73
And, by the way, the
King James version says,
00:54:33.76\00:54:36.26
is the root of all evil.
00:54:36.29\00:54:38.22
It can be translated either
way, the root of all evil,
00:54:38.25\00:54:41.30
or the root of
all kinds of evil.
00:54:41.33\00:54:43.39
Just look at this world today,
and I think that if you look
00:54:43.42\00:54:47.87
carefully you'll see
that this statement is true.
00:54:47.90\00:54:50.53
Almost every single problem
in the world, at some point,
00:54:50.56\00:54:54.75
revolves around money.
00:54:54.78\00:54:57.47
Jesus said in
Matthew 16:26, Matthew 16:26,
00:54:57.50\00:55:04.81
a very well known verse.
00:55:04.84\00:55:06.03
It's one of those formula
sayings of Jesus. He says:
00:55:06.07\00:55:09.10
What does it profit a man if
you're going to gain everything
00:55:22.22\00:55:25.75
in the world, and
yet you lose your soul?
00:55:25.79\00:55:28.26
By the way, Ezekiel 7:19
tells us that someday soon,
00:55:28.29\00:55:34.33
when Jesus comes, people
are going to take their silver
00:55:34.36\00:55:39.03
and their gold, and they
are going to throw their silver
00:55:39.07\00:55:42.95
and their gold into the streets,
and they're going to say,
00:55:42.99\00:55:46.84
this is no good. It
doesn't do us any good,
00:55:46.87\00:55:49.93
because our gold and our silver
will not be able to deliver us
00:55:49.96\00:55:54.61
in the day of the
wrath of the Lord.
00:55:54.64\00:55:57.20
So we must make investments
in the bank of heaven.
00:55:57.24\00:56:01.43
Let's notice our last
text: Matthew 6:19-21,
00:56:01.47\00:56:09.47
Matthew 6:19-21. This is also
one of those sayings of Jesus
00:56:09.50\00:56:17.08
which is very well known.
00:56:17.12\00:56:18.62
Here Jesus says this:
00:56:18.66\00:56:20.13
And so God gives us
these four principles.
00:56:47.88\00:56:50.67
He is the owner, we
are the His students.
00:56:50.71\00:56:53.43
He has reserved for
Himself tithes and offerings,
00:56:53.46\00:56:57.90
by the way, and if we
return a faithful tithe,
00:56:57.93\00:57:02.01
and our offerings,
we receive a blessing.
00:57:02.04\00:57:05.34
If not, we bring a
curse upon ourselves.
00:57:05.37\00:57:09.54
Let's make
investments in God's kingdom.
00:57:09.58\00:57:13.68
Let's use our resources for
His honor and for His glory,
00:57:13.71\00:57:18.66
and for our eternal
investment in heaven.
00:57:18.69\00:57:22.73