The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent to
present yourself approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is Stewardship,
Motives of the Heart.
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Hello, and welcome to
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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We're so glad you could join us.
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And again, we're very,
very grateful and thankful
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that you do on a
consistent basis.
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I think it's
very, very important
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as we study this lesson.
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I like this lesson and I
pray that each one of the panel,
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you've got a very
important piece of this puzzle
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as we put them together today,
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and we pray for the
Holy Spirit's blessing
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and for each one
of you, we're glad.
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Get your pencil and paper.
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I know you're gonna
jot down some things
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that will be a blessing.
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Lot of things what we
said you'll need to go back
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and do a lot more study on
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so that you make sure you can
get centered on this subject.
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It's so, so very important.
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That's the impact of tithing.
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I thought about the word impact,
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and I thought about it
almost like a collision.
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I may be wrong on this.
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But when you have a
collision as it were,
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it's a bad sense, collision,
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but this is a good sense
that it brings us together.
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The impact of something
that squeezes us together
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for a common mission
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getting this Word
out to the whole world.
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So impact of
tithing is very good.
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And those who, you know,
don't have your study guides,
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I'm going to
encourage you to do that.
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You can download those
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by going to ABSG.Adventist.org.
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And if you do that and
download those lessons,
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you'll have them.
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And I think it's
important to have the lessons
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because there's so
much that's covered sometime
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that sometime we
miss some things.
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And I'm thrilled
with the panel today.
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Sister Mollie, it's
good to have you as usual.
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Thank you. Thank you.
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Yeah. Who do you
have on your left?
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To my left, Pastor John Lomacang
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which is always a joy to
minister with you, Pastor.
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Praise the Lord. And
to my left, Jill Morikone.
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Good to have you
here, Jill, as always.
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Thank you, Pastor John.
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And to my left is Shelley Quinn
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and it's a joy to
have you here too.
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Well, it's just
a joy to join you
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and to open up the
Word of God together.
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I look forward to hearing
what each of you had studied
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what God has given you.
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Amen.
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Well, you know,
always before we study,
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we know from the
Word, we need to pray.
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I mean, that's so important
to invite the Holy Spirit.
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So I pray that you at
home, you're doing that also.
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And again, we can talk about
different things here about...
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Remember, if you
miss the lessons,
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you can go and you can
set your DVR, you're not home.
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Some people say, "Well,
we're a church, so we can't..."
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You ever heard that?
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"We're a
church. We can't do it."
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Set your DVR, tape those things.
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And here I mentioned YouTube,
lot of things you can go over
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and learn these
beautiful truths.
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But before we get in
and delve into this lesson
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that I think it's
really, really good lesson.
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But, Pastor John,
would you pray for us.
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We need the power
of the Holy Spirit.
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Yes.
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Loving Father in heaven,
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we thank You
that You entrust to us
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the stewardship of communicating
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on behalf of the kingdom.
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Father, we want
to be found faithful.
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And so as we've jotted
down words and thoughts,
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we pray that Your Holy Spirit
will now govern our minds.
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And may our words be flavored
with a mission that is divine,
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not an act that is human.
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May the message of this
lesson find fertile soil,
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and may those
hearts that are turned in
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in a covenant
relationship with you
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be moved to draw closer
by the act of sacrifice,
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so that when You return,
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our hearts will be
prepared to meet You.
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Guide as we pray
through the study of this Word,
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we ask in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen. Amen.
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So as we mentioned,
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the title of this lesson
is the impact of tithing.
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And I like the memory text.
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I don't know how
many spent much time on it
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but it's always good.
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And you could dissect it,
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and probably we can
spend our whole time
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we have together just on this.
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But shall we
just read it together.
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We pray those of you at home
will have to read it with us.
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Found in 1
Corinthians 9:13 and 14.
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Let's read.
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"Do you not know that those
who minister in holy things
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eat of the things of the temple,
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and those who serve at the altar
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partake of the
offerings of the altar?
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Even so the Lord has commanded
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that those who preach the gospel
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should live from the gospel."
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That's a beautiful,
powerful passage of scripture.
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I think in the King James,
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here it says the New
King James, "commanded",
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and I think it's ordained
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what we can look as the same.
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That simply means
God has arranged it.
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God has arranged, this
is the way to take care
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of those who are
laboring in the field for Him.
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That's a good
safe side to stand on
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as far as I'm concerned.
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At the days of the Jews,
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it was a common
knowledge for them to realize
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that the priest and the
Levi were to be paid from tithe.
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But why?
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Well, the simple reason is
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because God wanted them to focus
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on what they were
doing rather than be,
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you know, entertained
with a lot of other things,
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even though good
within themselves,
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it pulls us away from doing
what God would have us to do.
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So God's plan, and I
know it's a best plan.
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And sometimes I've
been on the other side of it
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and involved in things.
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And pretty
soon, you say, "Oh my!
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I have nothing
left to give to God.
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I'm tired, I'm worn out."
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So God had a wonderful nigh plan
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that those who preach the gospel
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should live from the gospel.
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Israel gave just this
kind of background, we realize,
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and each one will go
in it a little bit farther
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but each Israelite
gave a tenth, didn't it?
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We realize some scriptures,
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so hopefully, we'll
talk more about that
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to the priest.
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And again, so they
wouldn't have to worry
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about their
physical needs and so on.
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And the beautiful part I
like it is that Jesus came
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and what did He
do in Matthew 23:23?
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He simply endorsed the plan.
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Yes.
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Think about how
wonderful that is,
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'cause I hear a lot
of times people will say,
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and somebody is saying, "Well,
this is Old Testament stuff."
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You ever heard that? Yes.
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So Jesus endorsed
the plan of giving,
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see, it's just for the gospel
ministry in Matthew 23:23.
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If we had time we could
read all of those things.
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But rightly understood,
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we realize this serves when
we give to the cause of Christ.
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It's kind of like, to
me, it's like a thermometer,
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maybe, just kind
of a measuring device
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as our relationship
and our love for God.
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So as we delve into this lesson,
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look at it little closer.
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We'll go to Monday's lesson,
or Sunday's, I'm sorry, lesson.
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And it says
together, we fund the mission.
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I always like the word together.
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I don't know about
you what it means to you,
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together we do it.
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I realize in doing
other things of the world,
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it's always nice to have
somebody there to help you.
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There's been
time I wish, all day,
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all I needed was
one person just for,
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maybe five seconds to do
something that it would take,
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and then you could go
ahead about other things.
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But here, God is saying together
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that we're going
to fund this mission.
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So God wants us to be involved
in the most important...
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It's what I've got
out of Sunday's lesson.
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He wants us to be involved
in the most important thing
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from man to do on
this earth is soul winning.
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I think we
agree, don't we on that?
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Soul winning is the most
important thing on earth.
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Jesus command us to do
that the lesson brings out there
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in Mark 16:15.
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And just condense it
down because of our time.
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He said what? He
said, preach what?
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Preach the gospel,
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and then He
said, make disciples.
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Yes. That's right.
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You go into all the
world. So this is interesting.
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In Adventism, we
believe in a message
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that goes into the whole world.
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We believe that it
must go to the whole world,
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that's part of identifying
mark of God's last-day people.
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So as we look
at this, we realize
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it's gonna take
a combined effort
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all of us doing the part
that God has asked us to do,
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to make sure everyone has
a chance to hear the gospel.
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So go preach and then do what?
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Make disciples, it says.
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When Jesus was
making this statement,
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He was talking
to about 500 people,
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and that's a pretty
good little crowd, isn't it?
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And so he was
talking to this group,
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and He spoke these words.
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And it included not just
the ones He was talking to,
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but this included
all people in all ages
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down till Jesus comes
in the clouds of glory.
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We go, and then
we preach the gospel,
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and then we make disciples.
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Now where do we go
when we teach, Mark 3:14.
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This passage, you want to
jot down quickly, Mark 3:14.
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After He educated,
He taught the disciples,
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then what did He
say to disciples?
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He said, you
need to go doing what?
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You go, preach the
Word, go teach, right.
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Mark 3:14 says "That He might
send them forth to preach."
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I like this, send
them forth to preach.
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So that's good example
for us, I believe today.
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We have the responsibility
to share the faith.
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If we're talking
about impact of tithing,
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if we're talking about coming
together to fund a mission.
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We have to do this together.
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One person can't do
it, ten people can't do it.
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God doesn't want it.
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And I find that tithing system
00:09:04.64\00:09:05.97
is one way to help
to defeat selfishness.
00:09:06.01\00:09:09.01
Don't you...
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It really is
something that God's given
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to help us defeat it
and there's purpose in that.
00:09:11.78\00:09:13.82
So we have responsibility
then to show our faith,
00:09:13.85\00:09:17.62
Luke 24:47 and 48.
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Luke 24:47 and 48.
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Someone have that,
maybe, like to read that.
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You have it? Luke 24:47 and 48.
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"And that
repentance and remission of sin
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should be preached in
His name to all nations,
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beginning at Jerusalem.
00:09:37.44\00:09:39.31
And you are
witnesses of these things."
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Okay, so it's
laid out pretty close,
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what is our message,
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to repeat with repentance
00:09:44.91\00:09:46.75
and remission of
sins to get ready.
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Preach, notice
it says to, how far?
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All nations, you notice that.
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And it says...
There's always a beginning.
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When you begin to do
something, there's a beginning.
00:09:56.42\00:09:58.53
There's a
starting point somewhere.
00:09:58.56\00:10:00.10
You start maybe here,
00:10:00.13\00:10:01.46
and then God may have it
you to go to all He will,
00:10:01.50\00:10:03.90
to all the world to
preach and to teach the gospel
00:10:03.93\00:10:07.27
as His witnesses.
00:10:07.30\00:10:08.74
I like that.
00:10:08.77\00:10:10.11
And then the great
promise of Matthew 24:14 says,
00:10:10.14\00:10:13.11
and this gospel shall be what?
00:10:13.14\00:10:15.78
Preached into all the world
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.75
as a witness to
how many nations?
00:10:17.78\00:10:20.12
To all nations.
00:10:20.15\00:10:21.48
And notice it, then it says,
and then shall the end come.
00:10:21.52\00:10:25.05
So mine, at least, in
my thinking, I'm saying,
00:10:25.09\00:10:28.59
"Please, Lord, have mercy."
00:10:28.62\00:10:30.03
Let's get this message
preached into the world.
00:10:30.06\00:10:32.69
Let's get this
gospel message out, why?
00:10:32.73\00:10:35.36
So that You can come back. Amen.
00:10:35.40\00:10:36.97
Who wants to continue on
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and think about in this
world that we're living in?
00:10:38.37\00:10:41.27
So while we're here,
we're to be witnesses.
00:10:41.30\00:10:43.37
I've heard it
said many times, "Whoo!
00:10:43.41\00:10:45.47
The gospel is free."
00:10:45.51\00:10:46.84
How many of you heard that?
00:10:46.88\00:10:48.21
Praise God. The gospel is free.
00:10:48.24\00:10:49.68
Well, praise God, the
Bible does say it's a free gift,
00:10:49.71\00:10:52.01
isn't that wonderful?
00:10:52.05\00:10:53.38
But it cost, what did it cost?
00:10:53.42\00:10:55.68
The life of Christ.
00:10:55.72\00:10:57.05
The life of Christ,
you know, the highest thing
00:10:57.09\00:10:58.69
that could be paid.
00:10:58.72\00:11:00.06
It's a gift, but
man, there was a prize.
00:11:00.09\00:11:01.82
And I'm gonna read just quickly
3 testimonies, 251 on this.
00:11:01.86\00:11:06.46
It says, Christ will keep
the names of all who count
00:11:06.49\00:11:09.33
no sacrifice too
costly to be offered to Him
00:11:09.36\00:11:13.30
upon the altar
of faith and love.
00:11:13.34\00:11:15.74
His sacrifice...
00:11:15.77\00:11:17.11
He sacrificed all
for fallen humanity
00:11:17.14\00:11:20.08
in order to be happy.
00:11:20.11\00:11:21.44
We all want to
be happy ourselves.
00:11:21.48\00:11:23.55
We must live to
make others happy.
00:11:23.58\00:11:25.98
Makes sense.
00:11:26.01\00:11:27.55
Is well for us to
yield our possessions,
00:11:27.58\00:11:31.19
notice this, and our
talents and our affections
00:11:31.22\00:11:34.16
and gratitude devotion...
00:11:34.19\00:11:35.62
grateful devotion to Christ.
00:11:35.66\00:11:37.39
And in that way,
find happiness here
00:11:37.43\00:11:39.83
and immortal glory hereafter.
00:11:39.86\00:11:42.16
How wonderful.
00:11:42.20\00:11:43.53
You want to be
happy, then work for others,
00:11:43.57\00:11:45.13
work for salvation of souls.
00:11:45.17\00:11:47.34
This makes heaven happy.
00:11:47.37\00:11:48.70
This does makes us happy.
00:11:48.74\00:11:50.07
So the tithing system,
00:11:50.11\00:11:51.51
we realize was set up by heaven.
00:11:51.54\00:11:54.21
It's a means of
funding the gospel commission
00:11:54.24\00:11:58.01
to go into all the whole world.
00:11:58.05\00:12:00.38
Our commission as Adventist...
00:12:00.42\00:12:02.58
It should be the
whole world, but Adventist,
00:12:02.62\00:12:04.25
as Revelation 14 as
in our lesson brings out,
00:12:04.29\00:12:06.72
verse 6 and 7.
00:12:06.76\00:12:08.82
It just simply talks
about the everlasting gospel,
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.69
it's talking about going
to every kindred, nation,
00:12:11.73\00:12:14.10
tongue, and people,
00:12:14.13\00:12:15.46
it's talking about
fear God, give glory to Him,
00:12:15.50\00:12:17.87
there is a judgment hour,
we're to give glory to him.
00:12:17.90\00:12:21.07
We're to go back
and worship, whom?
00:12:21.10\00:12:22.90
The creator which
always brings us back to,
00:12:22.94\00:12:26.17
certainly, the
Seventh-day Sabbath.
00:12:26.21\00:12:28.24
So what is God's
approved financial plan
00:12:28.28\00:12:32.35
for accompanying this mission?
00:12:32.38\00:12:34.88
What does it?
00:12:34.92\00:12:36.25
What does it mean
to pay a full tithe?
00:12:36.28\00:12:38.65
Our lesson brings
that out, a full tithe.
00:12:38.69\00:12:41.36
Well, it's simply a
whole tithe, isn't it?
00:12:41.39\00:12:43.76
In Malachi's day,
00:12:43.79\00:12:45.29
and some of you have a
little more to say about that.
00:12:45.33\00:12:47.10
In Malachi's day,
there were people,
00:12:47.13\00:12:48.80
be careful, that
were cheating God.
00:12:48.83\00:12:50.57
They were robbing God,
00:12:50.60\00:12:52.07
they were embezzling the
funds that's owed to God.
00:12:52.10\00:12:56.24
So they weren't paying a
full tithe, and God says,
00:12:56.27\00:12:58.61
"Because you're
not paying it full,
00:12:58.64\00:13:00.94
because you may be just giving
a partial, or none at all..."
00:13:00.98\00:13:03.95
And realize, there's people
in the church today that say,
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.98
"Well, we believe
and Jesus is coming,
00:13:07.02\00:13:08.58
we want the
gospel to be preached,"
00:13:08.62\00:13:10.39
is not paying any tithe.
00:13:10.42\00:13:12.25
I have statistics on that,
we don't have to go into that.
00:13:12.29\00:13:14.56
But here, the
admonishing is we're robbing God
00:13:14.59\00:13:18.13
if we're not
paying a whole tithe.
00:13:18.16\00:13:20.70
And so we want to
make sure we do that.
00:13:20.73\00:13:23.16
Bring all the tithes, where?
00:13:23.20\00:13:25.10
It says into the storehouse
is what it says there.
00:13:25.13\00:13:27.74
So praise God.
00:13:27.77\00:13:29.10
He calls upon His people
to prove Him, doesn't He?
00:13:29.14\00:13:32.27
And then He tells them,
He's gonna reward the obedient.
00:13:32.31\00:13:35.81
I think that's in our lesson
00:13:35.84\00:13:37.18
that comes out
very clear for us today
00:13:37.21\00:13:39.38
is that we need to be obedient
00:13:39.41\00:13:40.85
to what God has
said in His Word.
00:13:40.88\00:13:44.02
Sabbath School
Worker, page two...
00:13:44.05\00:13:46.72
Yeah, February, 21st, 1905,
00:13:46.76\00:13:49.39
just in a few
seconds I have left,
00:13:49.42\00:13:50.83
notice what it says,
the Sabbath School Worker.
00:13:50.86\00:13:53.40
"That which
should have been devoted
00:13:53.43\00:13:54.93
to the advancement
of His work and cause,
00:13:54.96\00:13:58.13
but which has been withheld,"
00:13:58.17\00:14:00.00
notice this, "may in
various ways be taken away."
00:14:00.04\00:14:05.07
God has His ways of
scattering things, doesn't He?
00:14:05.11\00:14:07.64
We think we keep it,
we're going to have more,
00:14:07.68\00:14:09.84
that's not true
according to scripture.
00:14:09.88\00:14:12.08
You know, so we want to
make sure we pay a faithful,
00:14:12.11\00:14:15.52
give a faithful
tithe because we love Him,
00:14:15.55\00:14:18.35
and we want to see this
message go to the whole world.
00:14:18.39\00:14:21.36
This is the way that supports
00:14:21.39\00:14:22.82
the ministers and gospel workers
00:14:22.86\00:14:25.16
to make sure this work is done.
00:14:25.19\00:14:27.46
And I think God,
that He has a plan,
00:14:27.50\00:14:29.43
He is putting
that plan into effect.
00:14:29.46\00:14:31.10
And I believe in it, and
I'm supporting that plan,
00:14:31.13\00:14:33.30
and we need to work together.
00:14:33.34\00:14:34.67
Mollie? Amen. Amen.
00:14:34.70\00:14:36.04
And that plan
effects every one of us,
00:14:36.07\00:14:37.41
doesn't it, Pastor Kenny?
00:14:37.44\00:14:38.77
Amen. It does.
00:14:38.81\00:14:40.14
Well again, the
impact of tithing,
00:14:40.18\00:14:41.88
how tithing or not tithing
impacts your life personally.
00:14:41.91\00:14:48.38
Well, Monday, I got...
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.59
I was honored to get this day.
00:14:51.62\00:14:54.26
It's the blessings of God.
00:14:54.29\00:14:56.79
Now Kenny has already
looked at Malachi 3:10,
00:14:56.83\00:15:02.26
and told us about it.
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.47
But I want to read it to you.
00:15:04.50\00:15:06.74
Remember, I'm looking
at the blessings of God.
00:15:06.77\00:15:09.30
So Malachi 3:10,
bring how much of you tithe?
00:15:09.34\00:15:12.64
"All of your tithe
into the storehouse,
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.11
that there may be
food to eat in My house,
00:15:15.14\00:15:16.88
and try Me now in
this, says the Lord of hosts.
00:15:16.91\00:15:21.58
If I will not open
the windows of heaven
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.89
and pour out for
you such blessings
00:15:23.92\00:15:29.49
there will not be
room enough to receive it."
00:15:29.52\00:15:32.13
So how many of
you want to receive
00:15:32.16\00:15:34.23
the blessings of the Lord?
00:15:34.26\00:15:35.60
Amen. We all do.
00:15:35.63\00:15:36.97
Do you know
that God has laid out
00:15:37.00\00:15:39.77
in His Word the way for us...
00:15:39.80\00:15:43.61
You know, God
takes great pleasure
00:15:43.64\00:15:47.31
in blessing His children.
00:15:47.34\00:15:49.08
He has made a means whereby
the blessings of the Lord
00:15:49.11\00:15:55.08
come into our life.
00:15:55.12\00:15:56.89
All we have to do
00:15:56.92\00:15:58.82
is be obedient
to His instructions.
00:15:58.85\00:16:01.62
Now I'm starting out
talking about obedience.
00:16:01.66\00:16:05.23
Pastor Kenny, you
mentioned obedience,
00:16:05.26\00:16:08.10
and I want us to end
today with obedience,
00:16:08.13\00:16:11.37
because the
promises in God's Word,
00:16:11.40\00:16:16.40
there are many promises.
00:16:16.44\00:16:18.94
And it's all promises
to us that will bless us.
00:16:18.97\00:16:22.91
But with every
promise, there is a condition,
00:16:22.94\00:16:27.98
and that condition is obedience.
00:16:28.02\00:16:31.65
Okay, now let me read
this scripture to you.
00:16:31.69\00:16:34.46
It's Psalms 24:1,
00:16:34.49\00:16:37.19
and again, we're
talking about tithing.
00:16:37.23\00:16:40.80
Psalms 24:1,
00:16:40.83\00:16:43.13
"The earth is the Lord's,
and the fullness thereof,
00:16:43.16\00:16:48.10
the world and they
that dwell therein."
00:16:48.14\00:16:51.34
So you know what
this is telling us?
00:16:51.37\00:16:53.98
It is telling us
that God owns 100%.
00:16:54.01\00:16:59.71
And there are so many scriptures
00:16:59.75\00:17:01.45
that we've gone over previously
that tell us repeatedly.
00:17:01.48\00:17:05.45
God owns it all.
00:17:05.49\00:17:06.86
Do you know what, in
tithing, He lets us keep 90%,
00:17:06.89\00:17:13.23
He has only sanctified
00:17:13.26\00:17:16.87
and made holy unto Himself 10%.
00:17:16.90\00:17:21.20
We only need to return
10% of all of these blessings
00:17:21.24\00:17:26.37
that He has given to us.
00:17:26.41\00:17:28.44
Okay.
00:17:28.48\00:17:30.38
God promises a blessing
00:17:30.41\00:17:32.85
to those
faithful in their tithing,
00:17:32.88\00:17:35.82
not just temporal blessings.
00:17:35.85\00:17:38.02
Now we being so temporal minded
00:17:38.05\00:17:41.09
that we tend to
think temporarily.
00:17:41.12\00:17:43.16
But spiritual blessings
as well, there is salvation,
00:17:43.19\00:17:48.10
happiness, peace of mind.
00:17:48.13\00:17:51.23
God watches out for us.
00:17:51.27\00:17:54.20
He never leaves us,
He never forsakes us.
00:17:54.24\00:17:57.61
However when we
are blessed by God,
00:17:57.64\00:18:01.41
we are obligated to share
those blessings with others.
00:18:01.44\00:18:06.21
We have been blessed
in order to be a blessing.
00:18:06.25\00:18:11.52
Through us God is able to extend
00:18:11.55\00:18:14.89
His blessing to others.
00:18:14.92\00:18:16.42
Now I'm gonna call
this doubly blessed.
00:18:16.46\00:18:18.96
I'm gonna move my water over
00:18:18.99\00:18:20.86
because Shelley
spilled hers the other day.
00:18:20.90\00:18:23.80
Telling on me.
I'm telling on her.
00:18:23.83\00:18:26.07
Okay, we are blessed by God
00:18:26.10\00:18:30.54
in order for us
to be a blessing.
00:18:30.57\00:18:33.61
That's 1 Peter 3:8 and 9.
00:18:33.64\00:18:36.78
"Finally, all of
you be of one mind,
00:18:36.81\00:18:39.45
having
compassion for one another,
00:18:39.48\00:18:42.38
love as
brothers, be tenderhearted,
00:18:42.42\00:18:45.02
be courteous,
00:18:45.05\00:18:46.39
not returning evil for
evil or reviling for reviling,
00:18:46.42\00:18:50.86
but on the contrary blessing,
00:18:50.89\00:18:54.26
knowing that you
were called to this,
00:18:54.30\00:18:57.10
that you may
inherit a blessing."
00:18:57.13\00:18:59.50
So I'm gonna doubly bless,
this is the double blessing.
00:18:59.53\00:19:04.01
Remember, the other day,
Shelley, in your teaching,
00:19:04.04\00:19:06.34
you talked about
triad temptations?
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.81
Well, there is a thing
called a double blessing.
00:19:08.84\00:19:11.68
You are blessed of God
00:19:11.71\00:19:14.08
that you may be a
blessing to others.
00:19:14.12\00:19:16.42
Well, you know what?
00:19:16.45\00:19:17.79
Others are blessed of God
00:19:17.82\00:19:19.62
that they may be
a blessing to you.
00:19:19.65\00:19:22.59
The tither
receives a double blessing.
00:19:22.62\00:19:25.29
First, we are blessed
00:19:25.33\00:19:26.73
because of the
promises of Malachi 3:10.
00:19:26.76\00:19:30.20
What was that?
00:19:30.23\00:19:32.43
He rebukes the
devour on our behalf.
00:19:32.47\00:19:35.14
He pours us out a blessing
00:19:35.17\00:19:37.71
that we don't even
have room to contain it.
00:19:37.74\00:19:40.68
When Malachi 3:10 is
activated in our lives,
00:19:40.71\00:19:44.48
and then we are a
blessing to others.
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.95
And the promises of 1 Peter
3:10 are activated in our life,
00:19:46.98\00:19:52.49
and we inherit a blessing.
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.36
Okay, Luke 6:38.
00:19:55.39\00:19:57.86
We all like this scripture,
we can quote this scripture.
00:19:57.89\00:20:01.06
Luke 6:38, "Give, and
it will be given to you,
00:20:01.10\00:20:06.27
good measure, pressed
down, shaken together,
00:20:06.30\00:20:10.21
and running over will
be put into your bosom.
00:20:10.24\00:20:17.01
For with the same
measure that you use,
00:20:17.05\00:20:20.72
it will be
measured back to you."
00:20:20.75\00:20:23.32
We are blessed
00:20:23.35\00:20:24.95
and we are blessings to
others with the same measure,
00:20:24.99\00:20:28.79
with the same generous heart
00:20:28.82\00:20:31.39
that we allow God to flow
through us to bless others.
00:20:31.43\00:20:37.03
It's the same measure
that will come back to you.
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.97
You get little blessings,
00:20:40.00\00:20:41.67
see if you want
a little blessing.
00:20:41.70\00:20:43.91
You want great blessings,
00:20:43.94\00:20:45.27
then give yourself to God
00:20:45.31\00:20:46.84
and say, "Oh, God, here I am.
00:20:46.88\00:20:48.84
I know that it
all belongs to You
00:20:48.88\00:20:51.65
and You allow me to
be a blessing to others.
00:20:51.68\00:20:55.12
So, God, here I am.
00:20:55.15\00:20:56.48
You give me
direction, You prompt my heart."
00:20:56.52\00:20:59.19
God ever done this to you,
00:20:59.22\00:21:00.76
prompted your heart to
be a blessing to others.
00:21:00.79\00:21:04.36
You know, Easter,
the Lord would prompt me
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.96
to give my clothes away.
00:21:07.00\00:21:09.40
And there were just...
00:21:09.43\00:21:11.93
I was so tall and
so thin way back then
00:21:11.97\00:21:14.54
that my clothes
didn't fit many people
00:21:14.57\00:21:16.37
but those if they did...
00:21:16.40\00:21:17.74
If somebody even
said they liked something,
00:21:17.77\00:21:20.28
it was theirs.
00:21:20.31\00:21:23.08
But you know the
result of that, clothes?
00:21:23.11\00:21:26.98
God blessed me with clothes.
00:21:27.02\00:21:29.05
One of the ways God
blessed me with clothes
00:21:29.08\00:21:31.12
because I was so tall and thin,
00:21:31.15\00:21:34.82
but nobody else
could wear the clothes.
00:21:34.86\00:21:37.23
So I would find in the stores
00:21:37.26\00:21:39.33
some of the most
beautiful expensive clothes,
00:21:39.36\00:21:41.86
mark down to 25% off
of the mark down price.
00:21:41.90\00:21:45.50
And God blessed me
with a measure that...
00:21:45.53\00:21:49.04
He blessed back to me.
00:21:49.07\00:21:50.71
Okay.
00:21:50.74\00:21:52.14
The greatest blessing tithing
teaches us is to trust God.
00:21:52.17\00:21:56.44
I think many have said that.
00:21:56.48\00:21:58.25
Sister White tells us,
"The special system of tithing
00:21:58.28\00:22:02.72
was founded up on a principle
00:22:02.75\00:22:05.22
which is as
enduring as the law of God.
00:22:05.25\00:22:08.62
This system of tithing
was a blessing to the Jews,
00:22:08.66\00:22:11.99
or else God would not
have given it to them.
00:22:12.03\00:22:15.33
So also will it be a blessing
00:22:15.36\00:22:17.53
to those who carry it
out to the end of time.
00:22:17.57\00:22:20.64
Our heavenly Father
did not originate the plan
00:22:20.67\00:22:24.17
of systematic
benevolence to enrich Himself,
00:22:24.21\00:22:28.18
but to be a
great blessing to man.
00:22:28.21\00:22:30.75
He saw that this
system of beneficence
00:22:30.78\00:22:35.72
was just what we needed."
00:22:35.75\00:22:39.39
Concerning our giving,
00:22:39.42\00:22:41.02
the Apostle Paul
exhorts in Acts 20:35.
00:22:41.06\00:22:45.46
"I have shown you in everyway
00:22:45.49\00:22:48.96
by laboring like this
that you must support the weak.
00:22:49.00\00:22:53.70
And remember the
words of the Lord Jesus,
00:22:53.74\00:22:56.91
that He said, 'It
is more blessed to give
00:22:56.94\00:23:00.24
than to receive.'"
00:23:00.28\00:23:01.84
Jeremiah 17:7,
00:23:01.88\00:23:03.61
"Blessed is the man
who trusts in the Lord,
00:23:03.65\00:23:06.08
and whose hope is in the Lord."
00:23:06.11\00:23:07.92
Now it all boils
down to obedience.
00:23:07.95\00:23:12.19
And I'm going
to read this to you
00:23:12.22\00:23:13.99
out of Deuteronomy chapter 28,
00:23:14.02\00:23:16.59
I'm gonna start in verse
1, just go through verse 6.
00:23:16.62\00:23:19.59
Although, I want you to
read Deuteronomy chapter 28.
00:23:19.63\00:23:23.73
It talks about the
blessings and the cursings,
00:23:23.77\00:23:26.13
but let's just
read the beginning part.
00:23:26.17\00:23:28.14
"Now it shall come to pass,
00:23:28.17\00:23:29.70
if you diligently obey
00:23:29.74\00:23:32.01
the voice of the Lord your God."
00:23:32.04\00:23:33.71
What do you have to do?
00:23:33.74\00:23:35.08
Step number one, be obedient,
00:23:35.11\00:23:37.75
"To observe
carefully all His commandments
00:23:37.78\00:23:40.52
which I command you today,
00:23:40.55\00:23:42.18
that the Lord
your God will set you
00:23:42.22\00:23:44.12
high above all the
nations of the earth.
00:23:44.15\00:23:47.06
And all these
blessings shall come upon you
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.16
and overtake you,
00:23:50.19\00:23:51.83
because you obey the
voice of the Lord your God.
00:23:51.86\00:23:55.30
'Blessed shall
you be in the city,
00:23:55.33\00:23:57.33
and blessed shall
you be in the country.
00:23:57.37\00:23:59.47
Blessed shall you be
in the fruit of your body,
00:23:59.50\00:24:01.67
and the produce of your ground,
and the increase of your herds,
00:24:01.70\00:24:05.11
the increase of your cattle
00:24:05.14\00:24:06.61
and the
offspring of your flocks.
00:24:06.64\00:24:08.64
Blessed shall be
you be in the basket
00:24:08.68\00:24:10.95
and your kneading bowl.
00:24:10.98\00:24:12.31
Blessed shall you
be when you come in,
00:24:12.35\00:24:14.32
and blessed shall
you be when you go out."
00:24:14.35\00:24:17.09
And what was the
foundation or the basis of this?
00:24:17.12\00:24:20.22
You are obedient to God.
00:24:20.26\00:24:22.02
Now if you go and read there
in chapter 28 of Deuteronomy,
00:24:22.06\00:24:26.63
it says, "And if
you're not obedient,
00:24:26.66\00:24:29.46
all these curses
will come upon you."
00:24:29.50\00:24:32.13
We are blessed.
00:24:32.17\00:24:33.50
God takes great
pleasure in blessing us.
00:24:33.54\00:24:36.20
What we take great pleasure in
00:24:36.24\00:24:38.41
is being obedient
to the Lord our God.
00:24:38.44\00:24:40.48
Amen. That's right.
00:24:40.51\00:24:41.84
That's good. Amen.
00:24:41.88\00:24:43.65
Thank you, Mollie.
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.18
I'm sitting here and my
mind is just going all over
00:24:45.21\00:24:49.25
which is not an
unusual thing for me
00:24:49.28\00:24:50.62
because I like to think
sometimes to the cellular level
00:24:50.65\00:24:55.89
of what this message is.
00:24:55.92\00:24:57.59
And on that note,
I was thinking about
00:24:57.63\00:24:59.19
how the body works.
00:24:59.23\00:25:00.76
And the Lord gave me this...
00:25:00.80\00:25:03.37
'Cause mine is
Tuesday purpose of the tithe,
00:25:03.40\00:25:05.73
I'm gonna talk
about that in a moment.
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.10
But I want to
just lay a foundation
00:25:07.14\00:25:08.74
just to pull your imagination
in for a brief moment.
00:25:08.77\00:25:11.74
Something that
keeps all of us alive
00:25:11.77\00:25:13.27
is the blood in our veins.
00:25:13.31\00:25:15.84
That's right.
00:25:15.88\00:25:17.21
And our heart.
00:25:17.25\00:25:18.58
Now I'm sure that maybe many
of you watching this program
00:25:18.61\00:25:22.08
have donated blood before.
00:25:22.12\00:25:24.65
And we often donate
blood not in gallons
00:25:24.69\00:25:27.76
but in pints, and
one pint at a time.
00:25:27.79\00:25:31.46
And we have to be
of a sufficient weight
00:25:31.49\00:25:33.76
in order to be able
to qualify to give blood.
00:25:33.80\00:25:36.23
I think it's, you have
to be 120 pounds and above,
00:25:36.26\00:25:39.20
or 107 pounds and above.
00:25:39.23\00:25:40.57
If you're below
a certain weight,
00:25:40.60\00:25:41.94
you cannot give blood
because you will not...
00:25:41.97\00:25:44.11
The body does not recognize
00:25:44.14\00:25:45.74
its efficiency to sustain itself
00:25:45.77\00:25:49.14
beyond a certain
point of blood loss.
00:25:49.18\00:25:52.58
A tithing to the
church, follow me carefully,
00:25:52.61\00:25:58.12
is what the circulatory
system is to the heart.
00:25:58.15\00:26:01.52
The heart pumps
blood to it and from it.
00:26:01.56\00:26:06.13
It goes into one,
00:26:06.16\00:26:07.76
and I'm not a doctor but
it goes in and it comes out.
00:26:07.80\00:26:10.53
And it goes through a
channel, heart to arteries,
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.94
arteries to
veins, veins to cells
00:26:13.97\00:26:16.81
so that the blood could reach
to the extremities of the body,
00:26:16.84\00:26:21.08
all functioning parts.
00:26:21.11\00:26:23.48
Anytime that blood doesn't
get to a particular area,
00:26:23.51\00:26:26.41
that parts begins to die.
00:26:26.45\00:26:29.38
In the same way, all
the organs that function,
00:26:29.42\00:26:33.46
function only if the heart
is able to get blood to it.
00:26:33.49\00:26:37.16
If the heart is not
able to get blood to it,
00:26:37.19\00:26:38.86
that organ begins to die.
00:26:38.89\00:26:40.76
In the very same
way, the organization,
00:26:40.80\00:26:44.47
organ,
organization cannot function
00:26:44.50\00:26:47.70
if the church does not
supply the financial need
00:26:47.74\00:26:51.67
that each of these organizations
00:26:51.71\00:26:53.24
throughout the world need
00:26:53.27\00:26:54.68
in order to
continue to function.
00:26:54.71\00:26:56.78
So in the very same way,
00:26:56.81\00:26:58.61
the blood that is being sent
00:26:58.65\00:26:59.98
from the heart
to all the arteries,
00:27:00.02\00:27:02.98
the North American division,
00:27:03.02\00:27:04.95
the veins, the
Lake Union Conference,
00:27:04.99\00:27:09.69
the extremities,
the smaller areas,
00:27:09.72\00:27:11.59
the Illinois Conference.
00:27:11.63\00:27:13.26
It goes from the source, heart,
to the second larger area,
00:27:13.29\00:27:17.40
the arteries, the
next smaller area...
00:27:17.43\00:27:19.80
It's good analogy. Good analogy.
00:27:19.83\00:27:21.97
The local conference,
00:27:22.00\00:27:24.71
then to the
extremities, Thompsonville.
00:27:24.74\00:27:28.38
If the heart stops
functioning, the world church,
00:27:28.41\00:27:32.01
and cannot send finances
00:27:32.05\00:27:33.65
to all the
extremities of the work.
00:27:33.68\00:27:36.38
The farthest person,
00:27:36.42\00:27:38.75
the farthest functioning
aspect from the heart will die,
00:27:38.79\00:27:42.79
even if it's
the tip of your toe,
00:27:42.82\00:27:44.69
it begins to die.
00:27:44.73\00:27:46.06
And they'll say,
"What's happening?"
00:27:46.09\00:27:47.43
And they'll say...
00:27:47.46\00:27:48.80
Give me your hand.
00:27:48.83\00:27:50.17
They'll go like this,
I've seen doctors do this,
00:27:50.20\00:27:51.53
and I said,
"Why do you do that?"
00:27:51.57\00:27:52.93
They see if the
tip of your finger...
00:27:52.97\00:27:54.80
They said, "Okay, your blood
is circulating, you're fine."
00:27:54.84\00:27:57.61
They do to the
tips of your toes,
00:27:57.64\00:27:58.97
and I said, "Why
are you doing it?"
00:27:59.01\00:28:00.34
"To see if blood is
getting to the tip of your toe."
00:28:00.38\00:28:02.34
If it's not,
that toe is in danger
00:28:02.38\00:28:04.41
or that finger is in danger
00:28:04.45\00:28:05.81
because it's not
going from the center
00:28:05.85\00:28:07.65
all the way to the very end.
00:28:07.68\00:28:10.62
When God gives us finances,
00:28:10.65\00:28:13.66
God wants us
00:28:13.69\00:28:15.46
to be able to
stimulate the body's ability.
00:28:15.49\00:28:19.29
And I'm going to
use these analogies,
00:28:19.33\00:28:20.70
I might not
even get to the topic
00:28:20.73\00:28:22.06
but this is vitally important.
00:28:22.10\00:28:24.20
In order for the
body to replace the blood
00:28:24.23\00:28:26.50
that was donated,
00:28:26.53\00:28:28.70
something has to happen.
00:28:28.74\00:28:30.51
And I've looked into this.
00:28:30.54\00:28:32.01
And there's a
special cell in the kidney
00:28:32.04\00:28:36.54
that senses that the oxygen
level in the body has dropped
00:28:36.58\00:28:40.82
due to the blood you just gave.
00:28:40.85\00:28:43.15
And it stimulates a cell
called the peritubular cells.
00:28:43.18\00:28:47.96
That's what senses
the drop in the oxygen,
00:28:47.99\00:28:50.76
then it secretes a protein
00:28:50.79\00:28:53.90
that passes
through the blood stream
00:28:53.93\00:28:55.76
and it gets to the bone marrow
00:28:55.80\00:28:57.33
and says to the bone
marrow, "We need more blood."
00:28:57.37\00:29:00.87
And the bone marrow now
begins to produce that blood.
00:29:00.90\00:29:04.47
When the Holy
Spirit senses a drop
00:29:04.51\00:29:06.74
in the finances of the church,
00:29:06.78\00:29:10.08
he sends a protein to
the heart of the Christian
00:29:10.11\00:29:16.28
that is stimulated spiritually
to pass through the veins,
00:29:16.32\00:29:21.56
all the different avenues
of giving so that the blood,
00:29:21.59\00:29:24.26
so that the finances
00:29:24.29\00:29:27.13
that were lost
can be replenished,
00:29:27.16\00:29:31.43
and the organ
00:29:31.47\00:29:32.80
and the
organization can survive.
00:29:32.83\00:29:36.00
Praise God.
00:29:36.04\00:29:37.37
So when we decide
at the extremities
00:29:37.41\00:29:40.84
that we're not
gonna give, the blood...
00:29:40.88\00:29:44.41
When the kidney decides
it's no longer gonna function,
00:29:44.45\00:29:47.05
that's why when the
kidney stops functioning,
00:29:47.08\00:29:49.55
we are getting
closer and closer to death
00:29:49.58\00:29:51.32
because the kidney's
function is numerical.
00:29:51.35\00:29:54.42
It has number of functions.
00:29:54.46\00:29:56.26
I'm not a doctor
but I'm getting this,
00:29:56.29\00:29:58.53
the kidney has more than
just the function to filter.
00:29:58.56\00:30:01.36
The kidney has the
function to stimulate
00:30:01.40\00:30:04.40
the continual
production of the blood cells,
00:30:04.43\00:30:08.44
but it sends the secreting,
00:30:08.47\00:30:12.17
this enzyme to say
to the bone marrow,
00:30:12.21\00:30:15.51
"We need more red blood cells."
00:30:15.54\00:30:17.65
And when you look
at the bone marrow,
00:30:17.68\00:30:20.28
what the bone marrow
does, it maintains the balance
00:30:20.32\00:30:22.75
between the white blood
cell and the red blood cell.
00:30:22.78\00:30:26.02
So the bone marrow,
00:30:26.05\00:30:27.39
if you start losing bone marrow,
00:30:27.42\00:30:28.76
that's why you have
these stem cell transplants.
00:30:28.79\00:30:33.56
So the bone marrow
now can be healthy,
00:30:33.60\00:30:35.96
produce the blood,
fight off the disease,
00:30:36.00\00:30:38.17
and the body in and of
itself remains healthy.
00:30:38.20\00:30:41.27
Here's the point of the tithe.
00:30:41.30\00:30:43.10
The tithing system
God has given to us.
00:30:43.14\00:30:46.34
The tithing is to the church,
00:30:46.37\00:30:48.21
what the circulatory
system is to the heart.
00:30:48.24\00:30:50.98
When the heart pumps blood,
it pumps it to and from it.
00:30:51.01\00:30:54.52
If we stop giving
what God has given to us,
00:30:54.55\00:30:57.49
the organization will
die because we represent
00:30:57.52\00:31:01.56
those parts that are
stimulated by the Holy Spirit
00:31:01.59\00:31:04.59
to produce more
00:31:04.63\00:31:06.03
so that the
organization will not die.
00:31:06.06\00:31:08.50
So in the same way,
the body does not die.
00:31:08.53\00:31:11.23
What's the purpose of tithing?
00:31:11.27\00:31:12.70
To keep the church alive.
00:31:12.73\00:31:14.50
Yes.
00:31:14.54\00:31:16.10
If the kidney says,
"We don't need more blood.
00:31:16.14\00:31:21.51
I'm not sending any
signals to the bone marrow
00:31:21.54\00:31:23.75
'cause I think we have enough.
00:31:23.78\00:31:25.11
We lost a pint, but
we could do without it."
00:31:25.15\00:31:27.95
You give another pint,
"Well, we're two pints down."
00:31:27.98\00:31:31.72
We give another pint,
"We're three pints down."
00:31:31.75\00:31:34.79
And the body starts sensing that
00:31:34.82\00:31:36.52
it doesn't have
enough blood to function.
00:31:36.56\00:31:38.59
In the very same way,
when the church begins to give
00:31:38.63\00:31:41.90
to all of its departments
00:31:41.93\00:31:44.23
and it's not being replenished,
00:31:44.27\00:31:45.87
it's just a matter of time
before the organization dies.
00:31:45.90\00:31:49.37
What's the purpose of tithing?
00:31:49.40\00:31:50.81
To keep the church alive.
00:31:50.84\00:31:53.04
What's the purpose of offering?
00:31:53.07\00:31:54.41
To keep the church alive.
00:31:54.44\00:31:55.84
And as God has designed the body
00:31:55.88\00:31:58.05
in all of its
function for all of the parts.
00:31:58.08\00:32:01.32
You know the gifts, Shelley.
00:32:01.35\00:32:03.05
Every gift is
given... Excuse me.
00:32:03.08\00:32:05.05
Every gift is
given not for the purpose
00:32:05.09\00:32:07.46
of the person's personal benefit
00:32:07.49\00:32:09.92
but for the
benefit of the entire body.
00:32:09.96\00:32:12.93
Finances are
given to us by the Lord
00:32:12.96\00:32:15.50
not for our
personal aggrandizement,
00:32:15.53\00:32:18.43
for the benefit
of the entire body.
00:32:18.47\00:32:20.77
When we become
selfish bone marrow
00:32:20.80\00:32:25.71
and we refuse to produce
what the organization needs,
00:32:25.74\00:32:29.54
what the organs need
to continue to survive,
00:32:29.58\00:32:32.71
the church is going to die.
00:32:32.75\00:32:34.45
God has not called
you just to be a member,
00:32:34.48\00:32:37.65
He's called you to
be a part of the body.
00:32:37.69\00:32:40.19
Okay.
00:32:40.22\00:32:41.56
So when Paul
uses the phrase body,
00:32:41.59\00:32:43.59
he's getting that from the body
00:32:43.63\00:32:45.29
that God has
designed so beautifully.
00:32:45.33\00:32:47.56
And we say the
body fights off disease.
00:32:47.60\00:32:51.37
We are fearfully
and wonderfully made.
00:32:51.40\00:32:53.94
And when the body
senses that something's wrong,
00:32:53.97\00:32:56.94
the immune system kicks in.
00:32:56.97\00:33:00.01
When we see our church
beginning to die financially,
00:33:00.04\00:33:05.88
I'm praying that the
Holy Spirit kicks in,
00:33:05.91\00:33:08.22
and the spiritual
immune system says to you,
00:33:08.25\00:33:10.72
"Hey, you got to step up."
00:33:10.75\00:33:13.12
We've got to become
stronger in our giving
00:33:13.15\00:33:16.09
so that these little
departments don't die.
00:33:16.12\00:33:18.53
And when the departments
die, the church begins to die.
00:33:18.56\00:33:21.40
When the church begins...
Let's go back to the heart now.
00:33:21.43\00:33:23.77
When the church begins to die,
the conference begins to die,
00:33:23.80\00:33:28.17
the division begins to die.
00:33:28.20\00:33:30.41
I mean, the union begins to die,
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.44
the division begins to die,
00:33:32.47\00:33:33.81
and the church in the
whole world begins to die.
00:33:33.84\00:33:36.38
It all comes down to the cells.
00:33:36.41\00:33:38.35
And here we are, the cells.
00:33:38.38\00:33:40.75
We're the cells.
00:33:40.78\00:33:42.62
When the Spirit
of God produces in us
00:33:42.65\00:33:45.05
the desire to
keep the body alive,
00:33:45.09\00:33:46.96
these cells will be
found all over the body.
00:33:46.99\00:33:50.03
So God has given to you
what He knows each of us needs
00:33:50.06\00:33:55.00
to keep the heart alive.
00:33:55.03\00:33:56.46
And the heart has to stay alive
for the preaching of the gospel
00:33:56.50\00:34:02.10
to go to the entire world.
00:34:02.14\00:34:04.17
What's the purpose of the tithe?
00:34:04.21\00:34:05.97
As the body needs blood,
00:34:06.01\00:34:09.61
the church needs
its individual members.
00:34:09.64\00:34:12.31
If the cells die,
the body will die.
00:34:12.35\00:34:15.45
And if we stop
giving to the cause of God,
00:34:15.48\00:34:17.29
the church will die.
00:34:17.32\00:34:19.45
Do not rob the work of God
00:34:19.49\00:34:22.52
by withholding what God
has rightfully given to you
00:34:22.56\00:34:25.83
knowing that the
church needs everyone of us
00:34:25.86\00:34:28.73
as the body
needs every blood cell.
00:34:28.76\00:34:31.17
What's the purpose of tithe?
00:34:31.20\00:34:32.53
Simply to carry God's
work to the entire world.
00:34:32.57\00:34:35.54
And you are a
significant part of it
00:34:35.57\00:34:38.67
as every blood cell is
needed for the body to survive.
00:34:38.71\00:34:42.44
May the Lord move
your heart to do your part.
00:34:42.48\00:34:45.95
For the
furthering of the gospel.
00:34:45.98\00:34:47.32
Amen. Thank you, Pastor John.
00:34:47.35\00:34:48.68
I love the analogy of
the body, and the heart,
00:34:48.72\00:34:50.95
and the members that we
are all part of the body.
00:34:50.99\00:34:53.59
And praise the Lord for that.
00:34:53.62\00:34:55.19
My day is
Wednesday, the storehouse.
00:34:55.22\00:34:58.39
Where should I send my tithe?
00:34:58.43\00:35:00.30
And you know, God has an
organizational structure.
00:35:00.33\00:35:02.96
You see that in
the Old Testament
00:35:03.00\00:35:04.93
and in the New Testament.
00:35:04.97\00:35:07.80
The early church, you
think of the 12 apostles
00:35:07.84\00:35:10.31
and after Judas
sinned and whatever,
00:35:10.34\00:35:13.51
then they
pulled in a new apostle
00:35:13.54\00:35:15.24
to complete that circle of 12.
00:35:15.28\00:35:17.18
They ordained
deacons and elders.
00:35:17.21\00:35:19.88
And women serve
functions as well.
00:35:19.91\00:35:22.08
So they called the church,
the body together to function
00:35:22.12\00:35:26.65
and to help spread
the gospel message.
00:35:26.69\00:35:29.36
The same with tithe,
00:35:29.39\00:35:31.46
with the tithe
and the offerings.
00:35:31.49\00:35:33.16
There was order
00:35:33.19\00:35:34.53
and there was function in that.
00:35:34.56\00:35:36.00
I want to take a look at
storehouses throughout history.
00:35:36.03\00:35:39.13
So we're going all the
way back to the first time
00:35:39.17\00:35:41.57
where tithe was recorded.
00:35:41.60\00:35:43.10
We won't look at that scripture,
00:35:43.14\00:35:44.47
we have looked at it
00:35:44.51\00:35:45.84
at previous Sabbath
School lesson studies.
00:35:45.87\00:35:49.14
That is Genesis 14,
00:35:49.18\00:35:51.25
and we see Abraham bringing
his tithe to Melchizedek,
00:35:51.28\00:35:55.35
that's the first
recorded instance in the Bible
00:35:55.38\00:35:57.95
where we see that tithe,
00:35:57.99\00:35:59.32
the returning of
the tithe to God.
00:35:59.35\00:36:02.22
And in that case, you could say,
00:36:02.26\00:36:03.59
what was the storehouse?
00:36:03.63\00:36:04.96
He brought it to the
priest which was Melchizedek.
00:36:04.99\00:36:08.60
Let's look at Israel before
they cross the Jordan River.
00:36:08.63\00:36:12.07
Remember, they came
through the Red Sea.
00:36:12.10\00:36:13.94
They wandered for 40
years in the wilderness.
00:36:13.97\00:36:17.31
Where was the
storehouse at that time?
00:36:17.34\00:36:19.14
Let's look at Numbers.
00:36:19.17\00:36:20.51
We're gonna do several
Old Testament scriptures here.
00:36:20.54\00:36:23.45
Numbers chapter 18...
00:36:23.48\00:36:26.08
And some of these Old Testament
books are little hard to find.
00:36:26.11\00:36:28.88
Numbers 18:20 and 21.
00:36:28.92\00:36:32.09
In verse 20, "The
Lord said to Aaron:
00:36:32.12\00:36:33.92
'You shall have no
inheritance in their land,
00:36:33.96\00:36:36.36
nor shall you have
any portion among them,
00:36:36.39\00:36:38.83
I am your portion
and your inheritance
00:36:38.86\00:36:41.36
among the children of Israel.'"
00:36:41.40\00:36:43.16
Then verse 21, ''Behold, I
have given the children of Levi
00:36:43.20\00:36:46.43
all the tithes in
Israel as an inheritance
00:36:46.47\00:36:50.81
in return for the
work which they perform,
00:36:50.84\00:36:53.61
the work of the
tabernacle of meeting."
00:36:53.64\00:36:56.81
They were called as
priests, as Levites.
00:36:56.85\00:37:01.18
We would say in
today's vernacular
00:37:01.22\00:37:03.02
as ministers of the gospel.
00:37:03.05\00:37:05.85
And Israel, God called Israel
to return their tithes to them
00:37:05.89\00:37:10.69
in order that they could
00:37:10.73\00:37:12.06
continue the
spread of the gospel work.
00:37:12.09\00:37:14.70
So where is the
storehouse in that time?
00:37:14.73\00:37:18.27
It is simply the Levites
who served in the tabernacle.
00:37:18.30\00:37:21.80
The storehouse was the
Levites who served there.
00:37:21.84\00:37:24.44
Let's look after they
crossed the Jordan River
00:37:24.47\00:37:27.78
and they came into Canaan,
00:37:27.81\00:37:29.94
the Israel after
the conquest of Canaan.
00:37:29.98\00:37:32.35
We're gonna turn
over to Deuteronomy,
00:37:32.38\00:37:34.75
Deuteronomy 12
00:37:34.78\00:37:36.99
5 and 6.
00:37:37.02\00:37:41.86
Deuteronomy 12:5 and 6,
00:37:41.89\00:37:44.76
now this is at
the end of verse...
00:37:44.79\00:37:47.36
Chapter 11, it talks about
when you cross over the Jordan.
00:37:47.40\00:37:50.77
So this is, kind of,
he's giving prophetic,
00:37:50.80\00:37:53.40
"This is what is
going to take place."
00:37:53.44\00:37:55.27
So we continue in 12:5,
"You shall seek the place,"
00:37:55.30\00:37:59.54
this is once they
arrived in the land of Canaan
00:37:59.57\00:38:03.21
where the promise land
where God had led them to.
00:38:03.24\00:38:06.58
Verse 5, "You
shall seek the place
00:38:06.61\00:38:08.95
where the Lord
your God chooses."
00:38:08.98\00:38:10.45
So God Himself would choose
00:38:10.49\00:38:12.05
where the
tabernacle was to be placed.
00:38:12.09\00:38:14.42
"Out of all your tribes,
00:38:14.46\00:38:15.79
to put His name
for His dwelling place,
00:38:15.82\00:38:18.09
and there you shall go.
00:38:18.13\00:38:19.93
There you shall take your burnt
offerings, your sacrifices,
00:38:19.96\00:38:22.50
your tithes, the heave
offerings of your hands,
00:38:22.53\00:38:24.80
and the freewill offerings."
00:38:24.83\00:38:26.17
They were to take their
tithes, their freewill offerings
00:38:26.20\00:38:29.74
wherever the
tabernacle was pitched.
00:38:29.77\00:38:33.17
There were different places
00:38:33.21\00:38:34.54
where the
tabernacle was pitched.
00:38:34.58\00:38:35.91
We know it was at Gilgal,
00:38:35.94\00:38:37.28
it was at Shechem, Shiloh, Nob,
and Gibeon, different places.
00:38:37.31\00:38:41.38
But they were
to take their tithe
00:38:41.42\00:38:43.28
and their offerings there.
00:38:43.32\00:38:45.35
Now there's another
scripture we won't turn to there
00:38:45.39\00:38:48.12
but that's in Deuteronomy 14.
00:38:48.16\00:38:50.33
And if the distance
was too far for them
00:38:50.36\00:38:53.73
to make it all the way
to that central location,
00:38:53.76\00:38:57.13
it also talked about the Levite
00:38:57.17\00:38:59.03
within their gates
that they could help
00:38:59.07\00:39:01.37
and they could
support there as well
00:39:01.40\00:39:03.27
because there
was a great distance
00:39:03.30\00:39:05.11
to travel to the tabernacle.
00:39:05.14\00:39:06.98
Now let's look at
Israel under the monarchy.
00:39:07.01\00:39:09.28
We know we had
Saul, we had David.
00:39:09.31\00:39:11.11
David moved the
ark back to Jerusalem.
00:39:11.15\00:39:14.98
And Solomon, we know,
00:39:15.02\00:39:16.35
constructed the beautiful
temple there in Jerusalem.
00:39:16.38\00:39:19.25
Let's turn to 2 Chronicles 31.
00:39:19.29\00:39:21.42
And I know, Shelley,
00:39:21.46\00:39:22.79
you referred to this
on a previous lesson.
00:39:22.82\00:39:25.43
2 Chronicles 31, this
is several generations,
00:39:25.46\00:39:29.76
several kings
have come and gone.
00:39:29.80\00:39:31.93
Now we're all the way
down to the time of Hezekiah
00:39:31.97\00:39:34.24
and there was a
reformation that took place.
00:39:34.27\00:39:36.57
In 2 Chronicles
31:4, "Moreover he,"
00:39:36.60\00:39:41.58
meaning Hezekiah,
"commanded the people
00:39:41.61\00:39:43.45
who dwelt in Jerusalem
to contribute to support
00:39:43.48\00:39:46.48
for the priests and the Levites,
00:39:46.51\00:39:49.05
that they might
devote themselves
00:39:49.08\00:39:50.92
to the Law of the Lord."
00:39:50.95\00:39:52.72
And so when I read that,
00:39:52.75\00:39:54.09
I almost feel like the
Israelites had slacked off.
00:39:54.12\00:39:55.96
Do you get that?
00:39:55.99\00:39:57.33
They had no longer been giving
their tithes and offerings.
00:39:57.36\00:40:00.70
And Hezekiah said, "Bring
your tithes and offerings."
00:40:00.73\00:40:03.77
So they did.
00:40:03.80\00:40:05.13
And verse 6, "The
children of Israel and of Judah,
00:40:05.17\00:40:07.94
who dwelt in the
cities of Judah."
00:40:07.97\00:40:09.54
So they came from
all over the land.
00:40:09.57\00:40:11.84
They brought in their tithes.
00:40:11.87\00:40:14.18
And it says in verse
7, "In the third month
00:40:14.21\00:40:16.48
they began laying them
in heaps," these offerings,
00:40:16.51\00:40:19.58
"and they finished
in the seventh month."
00:40:19.61\00:40:21.62
Now that's four months
worth of people coming in,
00:40:21.65\00:40:25.79
bringing their
tithes and their offerings.
00:40:25.82\00:40:29.19
In this place you can see
00:40:29.22\00:40:30.89
that they were not
keeping it at the designated,
00:40:30.93\00:40:33.40
the different
cities like before.
00:40:33.43\00:40:35.30
You can see all the tithe
was brought to the storehouse
00:40:35.33\00:40:38.73
there in Jerusalem.
00:40:38.77\00:40:40.47
Now what about after
the Babylonian captivity?
00:40:40.50\00:40:43.30
They were taken away
the 70 years in the Babylon,
00:40:43.34\00:40:45.57
they came back.
00:40:45.61\00:40:46.94
Let's look at Nehemiah.
00:40:46.98\00:40:49.18
Nehemiah was greatly involved
in the rebuilding of that.
00:40:49.21\00:40:53.68
Nehemiah chapter 10,
00:40:53.72\00:40:58.65
Nehemiah calls the
people again in verse 35,
00:40:58.69\00:41:02.49
"We made ordinances to bring
the firstfruits of the ground
00:41:02.52\00:41:05.33
and the firstfruits of
the fruit of the trees,
00:41:05.36\00:41:07.13
year by year, to
the house of the Lord."
00:41:07.16\00:41:08.96
So he's calling the people
00:41:09.00\00:41:10.67
to bring that back to
the house of the Lord.
00:41:10.70\00:41:13.90
Verse 38, "The priest,
the descendants of Aaron,
00:41:13.94\00:41:16.54
shall be with the Levites
00:41:16.57\00:41:18.11
when the Levites
receive the tithes."
00:41:18.14\00:41:20.24
So they were called to
bring their tithe back again.
00:41:20.28\00:41:23.24
Now Israel fell into apostasy
00:41:23.28\00:41:25.65
and then when Nehemiah
became the governor again,
00:41:25.68\00:41:28.95
he reintroduced this
system of tithing again.
00:41:28.98\00:41:33.72
And Nehemiah 13, we won't
turn there because of time,
00:41:33.76\00:41:36.49
but you can look it
up verses 10 through 12.
00:41:36.52\00:41:39.09
It talks about Nehemiah
realizing that the portion
00:41:39.13\00:41:41.93
for the Levites had
not been giving them
00:41:41.96\00:41:44.40
because they were
going back to their land.
00:41:44.43\00:41:46.63
They were trying to earn
their living from doing that.
00:41:46.67\00:41:50.07
And Nehemiah said, "No,
you need to send your tithe
00:41:50.11\00:41:53.27
to the storehouse
00:41:53.31\00:41:54.64
so that the Levites can continue
00:41:54.68\00:41:56.24
the work of the
gospel ministry."
00:41:56.28\00:41:59.38
Now what about the
New Testament time?
00:41:59.41\00:42:01.15
Now to be honest with you,
we know that tithing continues,
00:42:01.18\00:42:04.35
you brought that out
very well, Pastor Kenny,
00:42:04.39\00:42:06.59
with that verse in Matthew 23.
00:42:06.62\00:42:08.62
Because Jesus did not
say tithing is done away with
00:42:08.66\00:42:12.16
but we need to consider
the motives of the heart.
00:42:12.19\00:42:15.03
We need to give...
00:42:15.06\00:42:16.40
I think of the Old
Testament, you say,
00:42:16.43\00:42:17.77
talks about the
system of tithing.
00:42:17.80\00:42:19.63
The New Testament to me brings
it to a whole another level.
00:42:19.67\00:42:24.64
We're not talking
just about giving 10%.
00:42:24.67\00:42:29.04
God calls for sacrificial
giving for the cause of God.
00:42:29.08\00:42:34.55
This is way more than 10%
00:42:34.58\00:42:36.32
than what's talked
about in New Testament.
00:42:36.35\00:42:38.25
Now there's not
a percentage given
00:42:38.29\00:42:40.16
but I think God calls us to give
00:42:40.19\00:42:42.52
as we are able to
support the work of the gospel.
00:42:42.56\00:42:46.23
In the New
Testament time, specifically,
00:42:46.26\00:42:49.03
the money was supposed to
go to the gospel minister.
00:42:49.06\00:42:52.27
We know that from
1 Corinthians 9:14,
00:42:52.30\00:42:55.40
the Lord has commanded
00:42:55.44\00:42:56.77
that those who preach the gospel
00:42:56.81\00:42:58.14
should live from the gospel.
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.31
Also you see in
the New Testament,
00:43:00.34\00:43:02.11
a large percentage
went to help the poor.
00:43:02.14\00:43:04.78
You notice that.
00:43:04.81\00:43:06.15
Churches giving beyond
what they're able to give
00:43:06.18\00:43:10.19
to help other
churches, to help other members.
00:43:10.22\00:43:14.66
In New Testament times,
00:43:14.69\00:43:17.13
the money collected went
for the needy in Jerusalem,
00:43:17.16\00:43:19.96
we see that in Acts 11.
00:43:20.00\00:43:21.76
It went...
00:43:21.80\00:43:23.16
The sale of the properties,
00:43:23.20\00:43:24.53
think about
Ananias and Sapphira,
00:43:24.57\00:43:26.53
and they brought their money,
00:43:26.57\00:43:29.54
or they're supposed to...
00:43:29.57\00:43:30.91
They didn't all that
they were supposed to
00:43:30.94\00:43:32.51
but they were
supposed to bring their money.
00:43:32.54\00:43:33.88
And they put it,
remember, at the apostle's feet
00:43:33.91\00:43:36.31
so that then it
could be distributed
00:43:36.34\00:43:39.91
throughout the
work of the church.
00:43:39.95\00:43:41.75
So in a special way, God
calls us to return our tithe
00:43:41.78\00:43:47.06
and our offerings,
that's another lesson,
00:43:47.09\00:43:48.99
but we're talking this
week about returning our tithe
00:43:49.02\00:43:52.16
to help support the
work of the gospel ministry
00:43:52.19\00:43:56.63
all over the world.
00:43:56.67\00:43:58.03
Now we started
with the storehouse
00:43:58.07\00:43:59.80
and where should
I send my tithes.
00:43:59.83\00:44:01.74
I can't speak for you at home,
00:44:01.77\00:44:03.10
because God speaks to each
one of our hearts individually.
00:44:03.14\00:44:06.17
But I can tell you
for Greg and myself,
00:44:06.21\00:44:08.31
we choose to send our tithe
00:44:08.34\00:44:10.61
to our local
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:44:10.65\00:44:13.21
That in turn is distributed
throughout the world church
00:44:13.25\00:44:16.62
in order to support
the work of the gospel,
00:44:16.65\00:44:18.65
the spreading of the
gospel around the world.
00:44:18.69\00:44:21.46
But at the same time,
00:44:21.49\00:44:23.06
we choose to give
offerings to support ministries,
00:44:23.09\00:44:26.56
to support the work of God
going on throughout the world.
00:44:26.59\00:44:32.73
Amen. Thank you, Jill.
00:44:32.77\00:44:34.10
This is...
00:44:37.11\00:44:38.44
As I said on a previous lesson,
00:44:42.34\00:44:44.85
tithe is not an
invention of man,
00:44:44.88\00:44:46.75
it's a commandment of God.
00:44:46.78\00:44:49.48
But my day is Thursday,
00:44:49.52\00:44:51.55
and I'm so glad that
they included this lesson
00:44:51.59\00:44:55.59
in this particular
week to make certain
00:44:55.62\00:45:00.43
that we don't get
our eyes unto works
00:45:00.46\00:45:07.17
but we keep our eyes on grace.
00:45:07.20\00:45:08.74
So mine is tithe
and salvation by faith.
00:45:08.77\00:45:12.37
Let's look at Romans 3:19.
00:45:12.41\00:45:18.41
This is a central truth
that is crucial to our faith.
00:45:18.45\00:45:25.39
Romans 3:19, Paul writes,
00:45:25.42\00:45:28.76
"Now we know that
whatever the law says,
00:45:28.79\00:45:30.63
it says to those
who are under the law,
00:45:30.66\00:45:32.46
that every mouth may be stopped,
00:45:32.49\00:45:34.50
and all the world may
become guilty before God.
00:45:34.53\00:45:38.27
Therefore by
the deeds of the law
00:45:38.30\00:45:41.10
no flesh will be
justified in His sight,
00:45:41.14\00:45:44.24
for by the law is," what?
00:45:44.27\00:45:46.54
"The knowledge of sin."
00:45:46.57\00:45:47.98
So the law and obedience
00:45:48.01\00:45:50.28
to the law can never justify us.
00:45:50.31\00:45:52.91
But now in verse 21,
00:45:52.95\00:45:55.25
"But now the
righteousness of God
00:45:55.28\00:45:57.95
apart from the law is revealed,
00:45:57.99\00:46:00.56
being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets,"
00:46:00.59\00:46:03.16
any time you see the
law and the prophets,
00:46:03.19\00:46:04.69
that's the whole Old Testament,
00:46:04.73\00:46:08.00
"even the righteousness of God,"
00:46:08.03\00:46:10.73
this is verse 22,
"through faith in Jesus Christ,
00:46:10.77\00:46:15.87
to all and on all who believe,
for there is no difference."
00:46:15.90\00:46:21.54
Verse 23, "For all have sinned
00:46:21.58\00:46:24.85
and fallen short
of the glory of God,
00:46:24.88\00:46:28.68
being justified
freely by His grace
00:46:28.72\00:46:34.39
through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
00:46:34.42\00:46:39.73
Paul is coming to the conclusion
00:46:39.76\00:46:41.53
of the first main section
of his letter to the Romans.
00:46:41.56\00:46:46.33
And he concludes four things.
00:46:46.37\00:46:50.21
First, that we're
all accountable to God
00:46:50.24\00:46:53.84
for what we have done.
00:46:53.88\00:46:56.64
Two, that we're guilty
00:46:56.68\00:46:59.65
of having done
countless wrong things.
00:46:59.68\00:47:03.08
Three, that we will
never be justified by God
00:47:03.12\00:47:07.56
on the basis of any
supposed good works.
00:47:07.59\00:47:11.69
And four, that we've all sinned,
00:47:11.73\00:47:14.36
none of us are
deserving of redemption.
00:47:14.40\00:47:19.27
If we deserved it, it
would be by merit or works.
00:47:19.30\00:47:23.44
And that's totally
contrary to scripture.
00:47:23.47\00:47:26.64
But now let's turn back
or turn to the next chapter,
00:47:26.68\00:47:30.05
Romans chapter 4.
00:47:30.08\00:47:33.78
We want to look at grace
versus meriting something.
00:47:33.82\00:47:38.69
Romans 4:1 through 5.
00:47:38.72\00:47:42.72
"What then shall we
say that Abraham our father
00:47:42.76\00:47:48.10
has found
according to the flesh?"
00:47:48.13\00:47:50.30
Let me just say this.
00:47:50.33\00:47:51.67
Abraham was the patriarch.
00:47:51.70\00:47:53.60
He was the head of
the nation of Israel.
00:47:53.64\00:47:56.87
He was a friend of God.
00:47:56.91\00:47:58.77
He was the father
of all who believe
00:47:58.81\00:48:01.81
in whose seed
that all the world,
00:48:01.84\00:48:05.18
all the nations
would be blessed.
00:48:05.21\00:48:07.62
Abraham, the Jews looked at him
00:48:07.65\00:48:10.79
and they held him up
as a model of obedience.
00:48:10.82\00:48:14.82
Even when God
renewed the covenant
00:48:14.86\00:48:18.53
with Abraham's son, Isaac,
00:48:18.56\00:48:20.73
he told Isaac, "I'm
renewing this covenant with you
00:48:20.76\00:48:24.33
because your father, Abraham
obeyed all my commandments.
00:48:24.37\00:48:28.34
So this is how the
Jewish people looked to Abraham
00:48:28.37\00:48:32.01
that he was the
model of obedience.
00:48:32.04\00:48:36.11
But then Paul goes on and says,
00:48:36.14\00:48:38.21
"If Abraham was
justified by works,
00:48:38.25\00:48:42.08
he has something to boast about,
00:48:42.12\00:48:45.65
but not before God.
00:48:45.69\00:48:47.49
For what does the Scripture say?
00:48:47.52\00:48:51.06
"Abraham believed God,
00:48:51.09\00:48:53.70
and it was accounted
to him for righteousness."
00:48:53.73\00:48:59.47
Abraham was not
justified by any of his works.
00:48:59.50\00:49:03.20
It was only by the righteousness
00:49:03.24\00:49:06.61
that God imputed to him.
00:49:06.64\00:49:09.44
The righteousness of
Jesus Christ that was imputed...
00:49:09.48\00:49:16.18
And imputed just simply means
00:49:16.22\00:49:17.85
that it was
deposited in Abraham's account.
00:49:17.89\00:49:20.92
Abraham, all of our accounts
are overdrawn because of sin.
00:49:20.96\00:49:24.23
I mean, we're bankrupt,
you know, we're in the red.
00:49:24.26\00:49:27.66
And there's nothing we
can do to be justified,
00:49:27.70\00:49:32.13
to be declared not guilty.
00:49:32.17\00:49:34.14
All have sinned and
fall short of His glory,
00:49:34.17\00:49:36.34
keep falling short.
00:49:36.37\00:49:37.84
So what God does is
00:49:37.87\00:49:39.21
He takes the
righteousness of Jesus Christ
00:49:39.24\00:49:42.11
and He fills that
bank account of ours.
00:49:42.14\00:49:45.11
It's called imputing it.
00:49:45.15\00:49:46.88
He credits it to our account
00:49:46.92\00:49:49.52
so we no longer
have that deficit.
00:49:49.55\00:49:51.65
And that He can justify us.
00:49:51.69\00:49:56.96
But he says,
"Now to him who works,
00:49:56.99\00:49:59.79
the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt.
00:49:59.83\00:50:02.83
But to him who does not work
00:50:02.86\00:50:05.10
but believes on Him
who justifies the ungodly,
00:50:05.13\00:50:09.20
his faith is
accounted for righteousness."
00:50:09.24\00:50:13.51
I'm gonna tell you something.
00:50:13.54\00:50:15.64
Only pride, only man's pride,
00:50:15.68\00:50:18.85
only man's vanity
could ever believe
00:50:18.88\00:50:22.25
that we could be saved by works.
00:50:22.28\00:50:24.42
There is absolutely nothing
you can do to save yourself.
00:50:24.45\00:50:28.99
The Old Testament and the
New Testament are really clear,
00:50:29.02\00:50:31.69
salvation belongs to the Lord.
00:50:31.73\00:50:35.06
And the Bible tells us
in Ephesians 2:8 and 9,
00:50:35.10\00:50:39.43
"It is by grace that we
had been saved, through faith,
00:50:39.47\00:50:43.20
not by works that
any man should boast."
00:50:43.24\00:50:46.47
So salvation is a gift
00:50:46.51\00:50:49.08
that is given
to the undeserving.
00:50:49.11\00:50:50.65
And I want to quote
this from the quarterly.
00:50:50.68\00:50:53.11
I can't put it any
better than they said it.
00:50:53.15\00:50:55.52
So let me just read this.
00:50:55.55\00:50:57.42
It says, "As for
the matter of tithe,
00:50:57.45\00:51:00.39
there is no credit obtained
from God by returning it.
00:51:00.42\00:51:05.13
After all, if the
tithe is God's to begin with,
00:51:05.16\00:51:09.90
what merit could there possibly
be in giving it back to Him?"
00:51:09.93\00:51:13.40
It's His.
00:51:13.44\00:51:15.00
"Tithing is not an
act that saves us any more
00:51:15.04\00:51:18.67
than any of the other good deeds
00:51:18.71\00:51:21.01
that we have been
created to do as Christians."
00:51:21.04\00:51:23.85
You know, we're saved
by grace through faith.
00:51:23.88\00:51:26.48
Ephesians 2:8, 9
says not of works,
00:51:26.51\00:51:29.55
but Ephesians 2:10 says,
00:51:29.58\00:51:31.35
we are God's work of art.
00:51:31.39\00:51:35.12
And we were
created in Christ Jesus
00:51:35.16\00:51:38.69
to do the good works
that God prepared beforehand
00:51:38.73\00:51:42.86
that we should walk in them.
00:51:42.90\00:51:44.97
So it goes on and then,
and it says, nevertheless...
00:51:45.00\00:51:50.84
And wait, I have
to say one thing.
00:51:50.87\00:51:52.27
What does Isaiah 64:6 say?
00:51:52.31\00:51:55.64
"All of our righteousness
is as filthy rags before Him."
00:51:55.68\00:52:00.08
So what He's
saying is the very best
00:52:00.12\00:52:03.08
that you can do...
00:52:03.12\00:52:04.45
There's someone out there,
you may be struggling right now
00:52:04.49\00:52:06.65
saying, "I'm not
worthy to be saved,
00:52:06.69\00:52:09.19
they don't know what I've done."
00:52:09.22\00:52:10.73
You don't know what we've
done, right, only God does.
00:52:10.76\00:52:14.96
And the point is that for
that person who is struggling,
00:52:15.00\00:52:21.60
please know, there's nothing
you could do to get right
00:52:21.64\00:52:24.74
with God except to say,
00:52:24.77\00:52:26.44
"Lord, I receive
Jesus Christ as my savior."
00:52:26.47\00:52:30.38
That's what will make,
00:52:30.41\00:52:31.75
only Christ's righteousness
can make you righteous.
00:52:31.78\00:52:35.62
And then it goes on in
the quarterly and says,
00:52:35.65\00:52:37.69
"Nevertheless,
the returning of tithe
00:52:37.72\00:52:40.49
does reveal an attitude
00:52:40.52\00:52:42.22
that is either
humble and submissive
00:52:42.26\00:52:44.39
or opinionated and defiant
00:52:44.43\00:52:46.19
regarding what God
has asked us to do.
00:52:46.23\00:52:48.46
If we love God,
we're going to obey Him.
00:52:48.50\00:52:51.10
Tithe is an outward
expression of our realization
00:52:51.13\00:52:54.64
that we, indeed,
are just stewards here,
00:52:54.67\00:52:57.14
that we owe God everything.
00:52:57.17\00:52:59.24
Just as the Sabbath
is a weekly reminder
00:52:59.27\00:53:04.28
that God is our
Creator and Redeemer,
00:53:04.31\00:53:08.38
the returning of tithe
functions in the similar way.
00:53:08.42\00:53:11.62
It reminds us that
we are not our own,
00:53:11.65\00:53:13.86
that our life and
salvation are gifts from God."
00:53:13.89\00:53:17.29
And then it says, "As a result,
we can recognize that reality
00:53:17.33\00:53:21.80
and live a life of faith,
00:53:21.83\00:53:23.26
acknowledge that the
returning of the tithe
00:53:23.30\00:53:25.63
is a very tangible
expression of that faith."
00:53:25.67\00:53:30.21
Oh, I only have a
minute and half left.
00:53:30.24\00:53:31.97
I have to tell you a story.
00:53:32.01\00:53:36.11
Let me see.
00:53:36.14\00:53:39.38
I want to tell you the
story of RG LeTourneau.
00:53:39.41\00:53:43.39
Are you familiar with him?
00:53:43.42\00:53:45.05
This is man, he
was a businessman,
00:53:45.09\00:53:47.86
who was doing very poorly.
00:53:47.89\00:53:49.72
He was about to
go into bankruptcy.
00:53:49.76\00:53:52.69
And he lived in the late...
00:53:52.73\00:53:56.40
early 1900s, excuse me.
00:53:56.43\00:53:58.80
He was broke, he was in debt.
00:53:58.83\00:54:00.17
He felt God tugging
into his heart to do more.
00:54:00.20\00:54:02.60
So he goes to his
pastor and he says,
00:54:02.64\00:54:05.31
"You know, I'm thinking
about becoming a missionary."
00:54:05.34\00:54:07.88
And the pastor says to him,
"God needs businessmen too."
00:54:07.91\00:54:11.85
Well, LeTourneau
prayed about that
00:54:11.88\00:54:13.82
and he decided that was true.
00:54:13.85\00:54:15.48
God needed men
who could earn money
00:54:15.52\00:54:18.55
and pay into the church.
00:54:18.59\00:54:22.22
So he committed, "Okay, Lord,
00:54:22.26\00:54:24.66
I am gonna
return an honest tithe."
00:54:24.69\00:54:27.20
And then he made a large pledge.
00:54:27.23\00:54:30.73
And we want to be
careful when you pledge
00:54:30.77\00:54:33.10
because just like
Ananias and Sapphira,
00:54:33.13\00:54:36.00
they pledged
something they didn't have to,
00:54:36.04\00:54:39.11
and they didn't
keep their vow to God
00:54:39.14\00:54:41.38
and God destroyed them for it.
00:54:41.41\00:54:43.61
But he pledged more than
he could possibly have paid.
00:54:43.65\00:54:48.08
By faith, he pledged this.
00:54:48.12\00:54:50.25
And God increased his business
00:54:50.29\00:54:52.79
so that he was able
to meet that pledge.
00:54:52.82\00:54:55.29
Then guess what?
00:54:55.32\00:54:57.19
He decided he was
gonna give 90% of his income
00:54:57.23\00:55:02.50
and live off 10%.
00:55:02.53\00:55:04.40
Instead of giving
God 10% and keeping 90%,
00:55:04.43\00:55:08.50
he gave 90% of his
business income to God,
00:55:08.54\00:55:11.31
he lived off 10%.
00:55:11.34\00:55:12.97
The man became
a multimillionaire
00:55:13.01\00:55:16.04
and he is
famous for saying this.
00:55:16.08\00:55:18.98
"It's not how much of
my money I give to God,
00:55:19.01\00:55:23.42
but how much of God's
money I keep for myself."
00:55:23.45\00:55:26.65
That's good. Amen.
00:55:26.69\00:55:28.02
That's good.
00:55:28.06\00:55:29.86
Excellent. Oh,
what food for thought.
00:55:29.89\00:55:32.79
And so we pray there's been,
00:55:32.83\00:55:34.16
you know,
thoughtful process for you
00:55:34.20\00:55:35.83
even jotting these things down
00:55:35.86\00:55:37.20
and we'll go back
and look into, you know,
00:55:37.23\00:55:39.53
and prayerfully say,
"Lord, I really want to know,"
00:55:39.57\00:55:42.64
because I know, and I've talked
to a lot of people as you have
00:55:42.67\00:55:45.71
that are kind of
confused on the issues.
00:55:45.74\00:55:48.21
And we pray that
this has helped today
00:55:48.24\00:55:49.84
to kind of put their
thoughts and their views
00:55:49.88\00:55:51.81
in a little
different direction possibly.
00:55:51.85\00:55:53.68
It's been good.
00:55:53.72\00:55:55.05
So how about, let's just
give a final, final thought?
00:55:55.08\00:55:57.42
Shall we as we
go around the table,
00:55:57.45\00:55:59.15
we have a minute
and a half left so.
00:55:59.19\00:56:01.42
Okay, you think, you say,
"I can't afford to tithe."
00:56:01.46\00:56:03.76
And I say,
"According to God's Word,
00:56:03.79\00:56:05.69
you can't afford not to tithe."
00:56:05.73\00:56:07.66
Right.
00:56:07.70\00:56:09.03
Tithing is a sign
of our covenant to God,
00:56:09.06\00:56:13.47
and when we
follow that covenant,
00:56:13.50\00:56:15.00
God will bless us abundantly.
00:56:15.04\00:56:17.24
Amen. Amen.
00:56:17.27\00:56:19.74
I think the peace
and joy that comes from
00:56:19.77\00:56:21.54
when you know you are
walking in God's will.
00:56:21.58\00:56:24.61
You know that you
are walking in obedience
00:56:24.65\00:56:27.48
to what He has asked you to do,
00:56:27.52\00:56:29.25
and the blessings that are
poured back into your life.
00:56:29.28\00:56:31.89
When you do that,
it's out of this world.
00:56:31.92\00:56:33.49
Amen.
00:56:33.52\00:56:34.86
When we were flat broke
00:56:34.89\00:56:36.22
and couldn't
afford to even groceries,
00:56:36.26\00:56:39.26
we decided that we
were putting God to the test
00:56:39.29\00:56:42.73
and He is proved
Himself over and over.
00:56:42.76\00:56:45.93
All of God's promises are
yes and amen in Christ Jesus.
00:56:45.97\00:56:48.90
Amen. That just
reminds me of the Acts 17:28.
00:56:48.94\00:56:52.41
It says, "For in Him we live
00:56:52.44\00:56:55.11
and we move and
we have our being,"
00:56:55.14\00:56:57.41
which is brought
out plainly here.
00:56:57.45\00:56:59.25
And so remember, we
owe back to God, we owe.
00:56:59.28\00:57:01.78
He owns everything,
we're just simply giving back
00:57:01.82\00:57:04.22
because to show
our love for Him.
00:57:04.25\00:57:06.55
We thank you for joining us.
00:57:06.59\00:57:07.96
What a treat
this has been for me.
00:57:07.99\00:57:10.06
We pray it's been a blessing
00:57:10.09\00:57:11.49
for each one of
you there at home.
00:57:11.53\00:57:13.16
And you can join us this
time on this place every week
00:57:13.19\00:57:16.87
the Sabbath School Panel
00:57:16.90\00:57:18.23
as it brings
some exciting things
00:57:18.27\00:57:19.87
that I believe that
we need to be learning,
00:57:19.90\00:57:22.07
because we
believe Jesus is coming.
00:57:22.10\00:57:23.44
Amen.
00:57:23.47\00:57:24.81
We want to be
ready for His coming,
00:57:24.84\00:57:26.17
so we want you to be ready too.
00:57:26.21\00:57:27.54
We thank you. God bless you.
00:57:27.58\00:57:28.91
You have a good day and
we'll see you next time.
00:57:28.94\00:57:30.28
Amen.
00:57:30.31\00:57:31.65