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Welcome to the Bridge Church VB Podcast, your weekly source for uplifting and transformative Sunday messages! Each episode features insightful, practical teachings rooted in Scripture, designed to inspire and guide you on your spiritual journey. Led by our passionate Lead Pastors, Archie and Tangie Callahan, we strive to create a welcoming environment that encourages individuals from all walks of life to connect with the person, power, and purpose of Jesus Christ.
In this podcast, we delve into relevant themes and timeless biblical truths that speak to the challenges and joys of everyday living. Whether you’re commuting, exercising, or simply seeking encouragement, our messages aim to empower you to grow in faith and discover your unique purpose.
Join our vibrant community of believers as we explore how to apply God’s Word in practical ways, fostering a deeper connection with Him and one another. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enrich your life through these dynamic teachings. Connect with us and find out more at www.bridgechurch.tv!
0.000000 5.000000 Good morning, bridge church. It is great to be here. Aren't you glad you came to church today?
5.000000 9.000000 Amen. Isn't this great? Oh, man, I love it. It's so good to be here finally.
9.000000 16.000000 One of the greatest churches in the state of Virginia, probably the nation. God is alive at bridge church.
16.000000 21.000000 And it's an honor. And I mean that. It is an honor. Thank you, Archie, for the honor of the invitation.
21.000000 28.000000 Archie, not our old friends. Yes, we go back to college. When we were in college, the Dead Sea was only sick.
28.000000 33.000000 That was a long time ago. And you out and punish your coverage, too, on your wife.
33.000000 40.000000 I know that. Tangies such a blessing and your beautiful girls. And it's just great to see what God's done here at this ministry.
40.000000 45.000000 And through their family over these years, as I've watched this church grow mostly at a distance.
45.000000 50.000000 It's great to finally be here. And I believe we're going to have a great time together this morning.
50.000000 55.000000 I'm getting over the flu, but I was still able to fly from Atlanta to be here with you.
55.000000 61.000000 I'm dealing with a few leftovers, pray for my voice. But we're going to have a good time in the Lord this morning and learn a lot.
61.000000 67.000000 As we talk about money matters, grab your Bible or your iPad or iPod or Android, you win this mobile device, whatever you got.
67.000000 76.000000 And turn to Malachi, chapter three. Turn to Malachi, chapter three, unless you're Italian, Malachi, chapter three.
76.000000 91.000000 To Malachi, chapter three is where we're going to be this morning. And we're going to really dig into a segment of what is part of this series money matters.
91.000000 101.000000 Back of the old days, one of the major forms of entertainment were the circuses that would travel around the country.
101.000000 107.000000 All of them had as their mission to entertain the crowd and they were pretty creative as to how they did that.
107.000000 112.000000 But a lot of the circuses had basically the same format, the same template.
112.000000 118.000000 Almost all of them had somewhere in there a strong man routine.
118.000000 130.000000 A large, burly man would come up on a stage and he would lift things and bend things and break things and wow the crowd with his amazing strength.
130.000000 139.000000 Well, there was one particular strong man and one particular circus that always ended his act in the same peculiar way.
139.000000 146.000000 He would take a raw lemon after lifting things, bending things, breaking things.
146.000000 156.000000 Grab that lemon, he'd ram his fingers through the end of the lemon, creating a hole, then he'd squeeze out all the juice with his powerful arm.
156.000000 160.000000 Then he would issue a challenge to the crowd.
160.000000 172.000000 If just one man could squeeze just one more drop out of that lemon after it'd been in his powerful hand, he'd be given the grand prize of $500.
172.000000 176.000000 Well, that was a big money man back then. That would be like $5,000 today.
176.000000 180.000000 And he was confident because he'd seen the best try it. Nobody could ever do it.
180.000000 191.000000 To finally he came to a small town in the Midwest. He did his normal routine, he lifted things, bent things, broke things, bent, he wilded the crowd with his strength.
191.000000 198.000000 Then he grabbed the lemon, rammed his finger through the end, squeezed out all the juice that issued the challenge to the crowd of just one man or woman.
198.000000 208.000000 He'd come and break, squeeze just one more drop out of that lemon, $500. Well, the crowd was kind of murmuring among themselves.
208.000000 217.000000 Who's going to take the challenge? Who's going to give it a try? Well, all of a sudden there was a laughter in the back of the room.
217.000000 222.000000 As a man stepped up that was the opposite of what anybody expected.
222.000000 232.000000 The man who got up out of his seat, walking toward the stage to take the challenge, was exactly opposite of what anybody ever would have thought he was an a large man, he was an a brawny man, he was an a burly man.
232.000000 240.000000 He was a 75 pound, I'm sorry, 75 year old, 125 pound, ambaciated, looking a little man.
240.000000 249.000000 But he got up on that stage and he grabbed the lemon out of that hand of that strong man and the crowd began to laugh.
249.000000 255.000000 The crowd began to mock and cheer, but he grabbed that lemon and he hunkered down.
255.000000 261.000000 Well, the more he squeezed, the more they laughed, the more he squeezed, the more they mocked, the more he squeezed, the more they jeered.
261.000000 265.000000 Until finally that laughing stopped.
265.000000 271.000000 Because all of a sudden a little crystal began to form on his wrist.
271.000000 285.000000 And in a size and in a weight that gravity took over and that droplet of lemon juice fell from his wrist to the floor in front of all those people and that place erupted in applause.
285.000000 295.000000 Here that strong man was for the first time in his career, forking out $500 over to a 75 year old, 125 pound man, he could believe it.
295.000000 301.000000 He's looking at the man, he said, "Sir, I've been all over this country, I've seen the best try, I've seen the strongest try."
301.000000 305.000000 Nobody's ever been able to do what you just did, how in the world look at you?
305.000000 308.000000 How were you able to pull this off?
308.000000 314.000000 And as he was counting his money with a twinkle in his eye, the 75 year old man said, "It was easy."
314.000000 319.000000 You see, I'm the treasure at the church down the street.
319.000000 322.000000 I do it all the time.
322.000000 326.000000 You know for some reason, some strange reason.
326.000000 336.000000 Men of God, when they stand in pulpits of God to preach the Word of God to the people of God, the power of God, men like your pastor who faithfully preach the Word without apology, amen.
336.000000 351.000000 When they get to a passage of Scripture that deals with money, when they get to a passage that deals with possession or stewardship, a lot of times they feel like they're trying to extract drops from dry lemons among the people of God.
351.000000 353.000000 And that ought not be the case.
353.000000 357.000000 We've misunderstood obedience and giving.
357.000000 363.000000 We've misunderstood the principle of tithing and giving offerings.
363.000000 368.000000 Because I'm telling you, there's not bondage in it as the enemy wants us to believe.
368.000000 379.000000 Out of all the things I could fly from Atlanta, Georgia and preach to you and extract from Scripture for you today, I believe that this principle of tithing and giving is one of the most freedom promising, freedom delivering,
379.000000 383.000000 freedom offering, principles we can discuss and award of God.
383.000000 391.000000 There's no greater platform to increase your faith in God's power than what you do with money.
391.000000 400.000000 And if you'll hang on with me this morning through the hard stuff, I promise you we'll get to the good stuff and by the time we're done, you'll agree that that is the case.
400.000000 410.000000 I want you to look with me to what God said to his people in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, before he gave them a 400-year silent treatment.
410.000000 413.000000 And then he said, Jesus, and then we have the Gospels, amen.
413.000000 420.000000 But the last thing God had to say, by the way, if God's going to give you a silent treatment, the last thing He's going to say is pretty stout.
420.000000 426.000000 Malachi was strong, a lot of stuff here, a lot of rebuke.
426.000000 432.000000 And he got down to this idea of possessions and money and it's found in Malachi 3 beginning in verse 8.
432.000000 436.000000 Here's the question, will a man rob God?
436.000000 437.000000 What?
437.000000 440.000000 Will a man rob God?
440.000000 443.000000 Yet you rob me.
443.000000 450.000000 But you ask, how do we rob you in tithes and offerings?
450.000000 456.000000 You're under a curse, the whole nation of you, because you're robbing me.
456.000000 460.000000 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.
460.000000 466.000000 There may be food in my house, test me in this, says the Lord Almighty.
466.000000 476.000000 See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
476.000000 482.000000 I'll prevent the pest from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruits as the Lord Almighty.
482.000000 484.000000 Then all the nations will call you blessed.
484.000000 488.000000 For yours will be a delightful hand, says the Lord Almighty.
488.000000 492.000000 Father God, there's no way any preacher can do justice to all that is in this text.
492.000000 500.000000 So we ask the help of the Holy Spirit of God, both in the preaching and in the listening and then in the doing.
500.000000 506.000000 And Lord, when all the dust settles may you receive all the glory as we receive the blessing, and we love you and thank you in Jesus' name.
506.000000 510.000000 And all God's people said, let me give you some principles this morning right now.
510.000000 515.000000 Number one, first of all, notice in this text that obedience and giving is a principle that is personal with God.
515.000000 519.000000 Obedience and giving is a principle that is personal with God. Go to verse 8.
519.000000 524.000000 He says right here in plain English verse 8, he says, "Will a man rob the pastor?"
524.000000 525.000000 Nope, that's not what he says.
525.000000 531.000000 "Will a man rob the church?" Nope, that's not what he says. "Will a man rob the denominator?" Nope, he doesn't.
531.000000 533.000000 "Will a man rob God?"
533.000000 536.000000 Yet you rob me.
536.000000 539.000000 You say, how do we rob you?"
539.000000 544.000000 And he said in ties and offerings.
544.000000 546.000000 Listen, this is a principle that is personal with God.
546.000000 551.000000 When I'm not tithing and I'm not giving, I'm not robbing the pastor of robbing God. Amen.
551.000000 557.000000 I'm robbing the greatest giver. Listen, our God is a giver. Can I get a witness in the house?
557.000000 559.000000 He's a giver. For God's love of the world that he...
559.000000 561.000000 For God's love of the world that he...
561.000000 563.000000 What do you give? A nice tip, some change.
563.000000 568.000000 No, he gave the blood of his own son. He bankrupted heaven so that we could be saved.
568.000000 572.000000 Our God is a giver. Satan is a taker.
572.000000 575.000000 Come on, church. Satan's a taker.
575.000000 578.000000 Some of you are tired of him robbing you. He's been stealing from you lately.
578.000000 583.000000 Amen. Stealing your clean conscience. Stealing your testimony. Stealing your loved ones.
583.000000 586.000000 Stealing your relationship. Satan's a taker.
586.000000 589.000000 God's a giver. Satan's a taker. This is easy math.
589.000000 592.000000 When I decide I'm not going to give and I decide I'm not going to tide.
592.000000 599.000000 I'm categorizing myself with more with Satan who's a taker than the God who gave his only son.
599.000000 603.000000 I don't want to be in that category. I want to be in the category where God's heart is.
603.000000 609.000000 I want to give like he gave. I want to give according to his character. There's only two kinds of stewards.
609.000000 613.000000 Good and faithful, wicked and slothful. And here's what we need to understand.
613.000000 617.000000 I'm not the owner. He's the owner. I'm the manager.
617.000000 624.000000 So I need to manage with the character of the owner and the owner is a giver. Amen.
624.000000 629.000000 And to whom much is given, much is required. Go ahead. Go ahead as you go into.
629.000000 634.000000 Y'all clapping like Baptist this morning.
634.000000 638.000000 So I'm in a lot of Baptist churches. I thought I was going to have some help this morning.
638.000000 641.000000 I come up in here y'all to be happy clapping. I go to Baptist churches. They try to clap now.
641.000000 652.000000 Y'all all right. When we don't tie, then we don't give what we're robbing God.
652.000000 657.000000 Now there are definitions. He said in ties and offerings, those are specific words.
657.000000 662.000000 Tithing literally in the Hebrew the word tithe means tithe.
662.000000 667.000000 It means a tithe. A tithe of your increase. A tithe of your income.
667.000000 672.000000 If you earn $500 a week, $50 is the tithe. They're by say tithe.
672.000000 679.000000 So if you earn $500 a week, $50 doesn't belong to you. It belongs to King Jesus.
679.000000 687.000000 Doesn't belong to pay your bill. Doesn't belong to go on vacation. Doesn't doesn't belong paying your tea time. It belongs to Jesus.
687.000000 694.000000 If you buy a house and you sell a house and you sell the house for $100,000 more than you bought the house, $100,000 is the increase.
694.000000 700.000000 10% is the $10,000. $10,000 doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the Lord.
700.000000 712.000000 Tith, tithe means tith. Stop market, job market, whatever. The tithe is the Lord's, well brother Scott.
712.000000 721.000000 Now you know we ain't under the law no more.
721.000000 729.000000 400 years before the law, Jacob tithe. 700 years before the law, Abraham tithe.
729.000000 733.000000 Jesus came along under grace in Matthew 23 and endorsed the tithe. Do you know why?
733.000000 739.000000 Because the tithe was never tied to the law. The tithe is tied to God's ownership of everything.
739.000000 744.000000 The reason we tithe 10% is because God owns 100%.
744.000000 749.000000 It's here about the church that need a more parking. Is it church that need a more parking? Imagine that.
749.000000 754.000000 And they notice that the store owner across the street, his business was closed on Sunday.
754.000000 758.000000 And idea, I tell you what, would you mind search that your business is closed on Sunday?
758.000000 762.000000 Can we park our folks on your parking lot, we're out of parking. He said yes.
762.000000 766.000000 He said yes. One warning. They said warning. He said yes.
766.000000 771.000000 52 Sundays a year, you can 51 Sundays are the 52 you can park there.
771.000000 775.000000 One Sunday a year, I'm going to change it off. I'm going to rope it off. You can't park there.
775.000000 779.000000 Okay. Which Sunday? He said I'm not telling you.
779.000000 782.000000 And they said why wouldn't you, thank you for letting us park there.
782.000000 784.000000 We love it. That's a lot of parking space and time.
784.000000 788.000000 But why would you randomly rope it off? One Sunday a year, not tell us.
788.000000 791.000000 He said because I don't want you church folk to forget who owns the parking lot.
791.000000 794.000000 Amen.
794.000000 801.000000 Hey listen, sometimes God has to change off 10% or remind us he owns it all. He owns 100%.
801.000000 806.000000 Because we start thinking we own it. Well bless God. It's my money. I earned it.
806.000000 812.000000 Did around me 18 says God gave you the power to get wealth.
812.000000 817.000000 God gives you the ability to get up in the morning, put one foot in front of the other.
817.000000 822.000000 Have a heartbeat in your chest. Brain waves in your noggin so you can go down and earn the wage or punch the client.
822.000000 828.000000 God did it. God's the source and the resource. We're the stewards.
828.000000 836.000000 It all comes from him. He owns it all. He said he said you've robbed me in tithes.
836.000000 845.000000 But he also said you've robbed me in offerings. Tithes and offerings. What's the difference?
845.000000 855.000000 The tithe is fixed. The offering is flexible. The tithe is a debt we owe.
855.000000 863.000000 The offering is a seed we sow. The tithe says God you own it all.
863.000000 869.000000 The offering says thank you for letting me enjoy it on the way.
869.000000 874.000000 When we get the mount of God, chapter three, God is upset. God is ticked off.
874.000000 880.000000 God is offended because the act in tithe and they hadn't given offerings.
880.000000 887.000000 They hadn't shown their allegiance to him in their debt they owed but also in the generosity they've been given.
887.000000 891.000000 They hadn't acknowledged his ownership or his generosity. No ties, no offerings.
891.000000 896.000000 And this is the words. These are the words God chose to use to describe.
896.000000 905.000000 He said I've been robbed. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been robbed?
905.000000 909.000000 I told the story for years about getting robbed when I was 12 years old.
909.000000 912.000000 What happened was we go to church. Suddenly, one Sunday night, Wednesday night.
912.000000 916.000000 We lived one mile from the church and we get in our car on Wednesday night and we drive
916.000000 920.000000 and spend an hour and a half at the church and then we drive home.
920.000000 925.000000 We had a very predictable schedule. Somebody knew that.
925.000000 929.000000 Stick out our house, wash our routine. When we went to church on Wednesday night,
929.000000 933.000000 we came home. Chaos had descended on our house.
933.000000 937.000000 Our belongings were strode out in the yard through the car port.
937.000000 940.000000 The front door was opened. The side door was opened. Walked inside.
940.000000 944.000000 Drawers were pulled out of their sockets. Our poodle was having a cardiac arrest.
944.000000 948.000000 We had been robbed. We told that story for years. I told that story.
948.000000 951.000000 I got robbed when I was 12 years old. Let me tell you the story.
951.000000 955.000000 One time we got robbed and then I was corrected. Somebody corrected me.
955.000000 960.000000 It says, "Scott, you were not robbed." I said, "Yes, I was. It happened."
960.000000 967.000000 No, no, no, no. You were not robbed. You were burglarized.
967.000000 974.000000 What's the difference? What's funny in the way?
974.000000 977.000000 There's a difference. Did you know there's a difference?
977.000000 983.000000 Berglary is what happened to us. We were burglarized. Berglary is when somebody is sneaking around behind your back.
983.000000 987.000000 They know that you were not there. They know that you were not witnessing what is taking place there.
987.000000 991.000000 Taking what belongs to you as if it belongs to them and hope they don't get found out
991.000000 994.000000 and certainly hope they don't get caught and get gone before you get back.
994.000000 998.000000 That's burglary. That's what happened to us.
998.000000 1003.000000 Robbery is when you're walking down the street, mounting your own business.
1003.000000 1010.000000 Somebody walks up to you and sticks a gun or a knife in your ribs, holds out their empty hand and demands from you.
1010.000000 1016.000000 Looking you eyeball to eyeball demands that you put what is a value on your person into their hand.
1016.000000 1021.000000 Knowing it belongs to you as if it belongs to them and demands that knowing you're watching the whole time.
1021.000000 1025.000000 When God got addressing not tithing and God got to addressing not giving it.
1025.000000 1029.000000 He didn't say you burglarized me. You sneaked around behind my back, hoping you don't get caught.
1029.000000 1035.000000 It's like you're walking up to me on the street, looking me out of eyeball and saying, "God, I'm going to take what belongs to you
1035.000000 1038.000000 and I'm going to spin it on myself."
1038.000000 1042.000000 It's mine. He said, "You've robbed me in times and offerings."
1042.000000 1046.000000 He said, "This whole nation is cursed with the whole curse to understand the cursing of the Old Testament,
1046.000000 1049.000000 cursing of the New Testament versus the freedom in Christ."
1049.000000 1053.000000 I get all that, but I'm telling you there is a way where we can instead of running the race in such a way as to win.
1053.000000 1058.000000 We can limp in the race simply because we're not embracing the principles of God that honors him.
1058.000000 1063.000000 And I'm telling you there is a principle that if we obey it, we're on a hymn and if we don't, we're robbing him.
1063.000000 1065.000000 And we reap the consequences.
1065.000000 1076.000000 The average evangelical Christian, and that's all denominations who believe in virgin birth, you know, resurrection of Christ, Jesus the only way to God, the gospel, all that.
1076.000000 1087.000000 Just across mainland denominations, evangelical Christians churches in this nation, 75% don't tithe.
1087.000000 1094.000000 And we wonder why we're having anemic impact on the culture.
1094.000000 1099.000000 Well, we don't walk in more power in favor of God.
1099.000000 1107.000000 When we're asking him to make changes in the country, fill us with the spirit and use us, yet we're robbing him in times and offerings.
1107.000000 1110.000000 So listen, you don't have to guess either.
1110.000000 1118.000000 Just go to the average shirt, not this shirt, but the average shirt, and ask him to give. You hear him straining to get the wallet out.
1118.000000 1130.000000 By the time they get that $1 bill out that they're going to donate, George Washington goes blind because there's been so long since he's seen the light.
1130.000000 1141.000000 Tithe! Well, brothers, God, I can't afford to tithe.
1141.000000 1147.000000 We're some broke American Express call of sudden told us to leave home without it.
1147.000000 1150.000000 I can't afford to tithe.
1150.000000 1162.000000 We're some poor. Our baloney has no first name. We can't afford to tithe.
1162.000000 1166.000000 It's amazing. People say I can't afford to tithe, but you can afford to pay your light bill.
1166.000000 1171.000000 You can afford to pay for Netflix. You can afford to put the door dash.
1171.000000 1175.000000 Come on somebody. You took another vacation. Can't afford to tithe.
1175.000000 1182.000000 You can afford your 401k, your SEP, your COD, R-A, FBI, amen.
1182.000000 1189.000000 Can't afford to tithe. Listen to me. The only time we use that excuse is when it comes to giving God what's his, I can't afford to tithe.
1189.000000 1197.000000 Listen to me. If you're saying I can't afford to tithe, and you don't tithe, here's what you're saying.
1197.000000 1215.000000 You're saying I'd rather steal from God his 10% and trust in that 10% to meet my needs than give God his 10% and trust in God to meet my needs.
1215.000000 1220.000000 The average evangelical Christian gives 2% to the local church.
1220.000000 1228.000000 Guess how much Uncle Sam gets? Somewhere around 31%.
1228.000000 1238.000000 Average evangelical Christian, Savior Grace, born into the Spirit of God, owns the way to heaven, gives 2% to the local church, and Uncle Sam will get 31%.
1238.000000 1243.000000 I'm going to give you an illustration that's not original with me. It came out of chapter 1.
1243.000000 1252.000000 And God basically said this in Malachi 1. I think it's verse 8 where he says, "Try to treat in your governor the way you've been treating me."
1252.000000 1262.000000 They were bringing 6 sheep and left over sheep and spotted lambs, not the best for sacrifice. And God said, "Your governor wouldn't take what you're giving me."
1262.000000 1267.000000 He wouldn't want it. What does God say? "Try to treat in your government the way you've been treating me."
1267.000000 1275.000000 31% goes to Uncle Sam, 2% goes to the church. We bless God, complain about government, but the government gets more than God knows.
1275.000000 1281.000000 Listen, friend, I'm telling you, it's time we switch the ratios and do the right thing. Now that you can only give the government 2% and don't understand it.
1281.000000 1287.000000 But I'm telling you, God will give God what He is and He just said, "Ten, amen."
1287.000000 1305.000000 Stop robbing. Listen, the Lord honors those that honor Him. But He says, "To those who despise Him, He lightly astains."
1305.000000 1314.000000 I want to walk in blessing, amen. And understand that obedience and giving is a principle that is personal with God.
1314.000000 1325.000000 Number two, obedience and giving is not only a principle that is personal with God. Number two, obedience and giving has a purpose that is practical for the church.
1325.000000 1332.000000 Go to verse 10, Malachi 3, 10, he says, "Bring a whole tithe into the storehouse." Everybody say storehouse.
1332.000000 1344.000000 Now what was that? The storehouse was a part of the temple complex that was used for the storing of grain goods and gold that were brought as tithes of God's people.
1344.000000 1353.000000 And there were three distinct groups that lived off the storehouse, full-time priests who worked in the temple. It is right for the pastor to have a full-time salary from the church.
1353.000000 1365.000000 Thank God for bivocational pastors, nothing against them. But I'm telling you, when your tithe comes in and he doesn't have to work a second job, you get more spiritual attendance to the health and life of the church when the pastor is full-time.
1365.000000 1374.000000 So the full-time priests, widows and orphans lived off the storehouse. That's new testament. Take care of the widows and orphans among you.
1374.000000 1386.000000 Also homeless Gentiles who found themselves living on the streets among God's people. I'm talking about Gentiles. What does that mean? The church was in charge of the welfare system.
1386.000000 1395.000000 Do you understand that if we just tied that America church just tied it? I ain't talking about orphans. There'd be such an influx of money into the coffers of churches.
1395.000000 1409.000000 We could take back welfare from the government, do twenty times a better job and give them the gospel in the process. And we never missed the money. We never missed the money.
1409.000000 1420.000000 So he said, bring the tithe in the storehouse. Let me cut across country real fast. What is the modern day storehouse? Here's what I believe. I believe that the modern day storehouse is the local church.
1420.000000 1432.000000 You know your pastor preaches it and he does it right that all of God's emphasis on utilitarian impact in the culture and his work on the earth is through the local church.
1432.000000 1445.000000 And so I believe that the modern day storehouse is the local church where your talent is employed, where your fellowship is enjoyed, and where your soul is fed, the local church, why to sustain the ministries of the local church.
1445.000000 1453.000000 How do you think these lights stay on? Who pays for the curriculum and resources that you often get from free?
1453.000000 1465.000000 What about the salaries of the leadership? Look, it comes from the times of God's people and it is good and right. Ministry flows when God's people tithe. Very practical.
1465.000000 1473.000000 Listen, the storehouse is the local church. Not the TV ministry.
1473.000000 1474.000000 Amen.
1474.000000 1476.000000 Thank you.
1476.000000 1486.000000 I was waiting on my one fan, right? Believe me. It's not. Now look, they can have some of your offering, but your tithe goes to the storehouse.
1486.000000 1494.000000 Not the peer church organization. I love Samaritan's purse. I love some of these others. I have a peer church organization.
1494.000000 1509.000000 This is what I do, but I don't want your tithe. I don't want your tithe. Your tithe goes to the storehouse. You see, I don't agree with what you're saying. It's okay. Just come up to me after service. Apologize. I'll forgive you. I'm just saying.
1509.000000 1518.000000 You've been wrong before. You'll be wrong again. No. I just believe that the modern day storehouse is the local church.
1518.000000 1526.000000 God is going to sustain the ministries and expand the ministries, the kingdom ministries of the local church as God's people tithe.
1526.000000 1539.000000 That's why he looks and says, bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Don't divvy up your tithe. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. It's a practical purpose.
1539.000000 1553.000000 No. What does that mean? The whole tithe means never less than 10%. If you earn a thousand dollars a week and you give God $90 on Sunday, you're still robbing God by $10.
1553.000000 1559.000000 Listen. I know. I love you. Just hang on.
1559.000000 1571.000000 And the whole tithe. So that means everybody ought to tithe. And everybody ought to tithe the whole tithe. Now, why is that important today? Because there are preachers out there who are saying things like this.
1571.000000 1577.000000 I understand the mentality. I understand the gentle heart wanting to shepherd people along, but it's wrong. But they preach it like this.
1577.000000 1583.000000 Look, you just start where you are and work your way up. Just start with 2% and work your way up to 10%.
1583.000000 1591.000000 Okay, let's just apply that logic about obedience across all areas of life. Let's say next Sunday, somebody comes to this church and gets saved.
1591.000000 1600.000000 I mean, they come down and give the heart to Jesus. Archie's down here, puts his arm around him, leads him to Christ. Brother, we're so glad you're saved now on your way to heaven, giving your heart to Christ.
1600.000000 1610.000000 Is there anything we can pray for you about it? He looks at Archie and says, I'm so glad I'm saved. Archie, yes. I do need prayer. I do pray for me for the last three years.
1610.000000 1617.000000 I've been cheating on my wife with five other women. Archie looks back at him and says, oh man, don't worry about it.
1617.000000 1628.000000 Just wean yourself off one a month till you get back faithful to your wife. You think that fly?
1628.000000 1640.000000 Tansy Chapel Academy, you say what to him? You said what? To him? Why? Because partial obedience is disobedience.
1640.000000 1647.000000 Partial faith is not faith at all. So don't look, give God the 10%. I understand the remaining 90 is an issue.
1647.000000 1657.000000 We have to work on stewardship. Dave Ramsey, that thing out, man, make the 90% go where it needs to. I get it, but understand a lot of times the reason we say I can't afford a full 10%.
1657.000000 1667.000000 It's because we keep seeing if some is left over before we give God his. And Proverbs 3.9 says, honor the Lord with the first fruits.
1667.000000 1675.000000 Not the last fruits. Unload with all your possessions and the first fruits of your increase.
1675.000000 1688.000000 We're brother Scott. There's only 100 pennies in a dollar and two plus two still equals four. I know it's coming in and I know it's going out.
1688.000000 1697.000000 I'm telling you, you can't do it. Folks, honor remind you that we serve the God of the loaves and the fishes.
1697.000000 1711.000000 He is the God of the crews of oil that does not run out. And I'm telling you if he can feed Elijah on the backside of a desert with ravings, he can take care of you and God bless America 2026.
1711.000000 1719.000000 He can do it. Will you trust God? What would happen?
1719.000000 1733.000000 It's usually the old Pareto principle. You know the Pareto principle. 20% 80%. 20% of the crops produce 80% of the crops. 20% of the stocks of your portfolio grow 80% of the most.
1733.000000 1741.000000 It's all 2080. You go to the church is same thing. 20% of the people do 80% of the prey. 20% of the people do 80% of them are right.
1741.000000 1750.000000 Now if you go to the average church, that's what you got. You got 80, 20 on tithing. 20% are not, are are tithing 80% are not.
1750.000000 1759.000000 So what effectively happens when we say we're going to just tie, I mean, I'm not even talking about offering yet. I'm talking about just tithe.
1759.000000 1770.000000 Let's say let's say church is bringing up. It's a big church. They're bringing in 50,000 dollars a week. And everybody and that's 20% tie that 80% don't.
1770.000000 1778.000000 And they decide all that day we're going to go home, figure out 10% of the last paycheck, bring it to the church, 10% all of us.
1778.000000 1786.000000 And they're bringing in 50,000 dollars a week. How much did they bring in the next Sunday? Let's do it. 150,000 dollars.
1786.000000 1800.000000 If it's a $30,000 a week church, they bring in actually that would bring in 150,000 dollars. They bring in 250,000 dollars. If they're bringing in 50,000 a week. If they're bringing in 10,000 a week, they're going to bring in 50,000 dollars.
1800.000000 1807.000000 You can multiply it by five whatever they decide to do because that is going to be the outcome. Do you not think that would get out in the community?
1807.000000 1821.000000 If a church that was bringing in 50,000 dollars a week starts bringing in 250,000 dollars a week. What is God doing down there in that church? What blessings have come there? And God said, "Oh, nations will call you blessed."
1821.000000 1835.000000 You'll be in the life of land when you just do what's right. You know what I'll tell you what else would happen. The church could finally say goodbye to bake sales and barbecues and bazaars and car washes to raise money for ministry.
1835.000000 1864.000000 Amen. Folks, listen, is that not ridiculous? That we got to raise money to do kingdom work out from the community. Every time the church has to go out into the community and pedal our wares to raise money to do kingdom work, it is an indictment on the unfaithful 80% that aren't tied in.
1864.000000 1879.000000 If we just did what's right, it would change what happens in ministry in the church. See, because obedience to giving includes or has a purpose that is practical for the church.
1879.000000 1887.000000 It's a principle that's personal with God and as a purpose that is practical for the church and lastly, it includes a provision that is promised to you.
1887.000000 1899.000000 Verse 10, He says, "Second line of verse 10, He says, "Test me." Now, you've heard this. This is the only time in the word of God. God ever looks at His people and says, "Test me."
1899.000000 1914.000000 And it had to do with money and possessions. And He says, "Watch. See if I will not. See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it."
1914.000000 1924.000000 Here's God saying, "Take a gamble with me." You take a gamble with the government, you take a gamble with the stock market, take a gamble with your boss's business, take a gamble with me. Jump, see if I'll catch you.
1924.000000 1934.000000 Go out on a limb, see if I'm out there. God saying, "Test me and see if I'll open the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it."
1934.000000 1953.000000 That's the own testament. Luke 638, Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you." How much? Good measure, press down, shaking together, running over, shall men give into your bosom.
1953.000000 1968.000000 Jesus the bottom line, "You can't out give the giver." And He's anxious to prove it to you. My wife taught me this. I was one of those guys, I tied, but I tied like to the penny.
1968.000000 1982.000000 10% struggle without offering. I married a giver. I've been married 30 years. We were on the road early and got right out of the seminary, hit the road.
1982.000000 1996.000000 And Skull came to me one day. She said, "God, put it on my heart. I need to give away a bunch of my clothes." I said, "Stuff, don't fit no more." She said, "No it fits." I said, "Stuff, it's out of style." She said, "No it's in style."
1996.000000 2005.000000 I said, "Honey, we're in ministry. We just got married. I was counting on someone in clothes last in at least 15 years."
2005.000000 2012.000000 She said, "No, I'm telling you there's some women in my life that need it more than I do and I got enough." Start giving it away.
2012.000000 2017.000000 Give away, give away, give away, give away. Two weeks after she started giving away, give it away.
2017.000000 2028.000000 We're at first Baptist church, Lexington, Tennessee. Preacher revival. I'm at a hotel with my wife. There's a knock at the door. Youth pastor's wife. It's scarlet here. Yep, scarlet somebody's at the door for you.
2028.000000 2037.000000 She comes over and she says, "Scarlet, I was having a quiet time this morning. God's fucked up a heart. Told me I need to take you shopping today and buy you two brand new outfits close."
2037.000000 2044.000000 It's like she gave away God put back. By the way, one of those outfits sure did. It lasted like 15 years.
2044.000000 2053.000000 Of course, it was made out of rubber, but it was unbelievable. My wife, she went through this phase where she's making baskets.
2053.000000 2059.000000 Remember when gift baskets were a big deal? She'd get these big worker baskets. She put all this greasy stuff in it, women like.
2059.000000 2067.000000 And she'd put herself in a big bow. We go to revival, she'd give one to the pastor's wife, give one to the dentist's wife. We drive two states, she'd give away.
2067.000000 2074.000000 It's like God saw that. Next thing you know, we got people giving us baskets. I mean like unrelated. She gave away two baskets in Kentucky.
2074.000000 2080.000000 We rolled up into a parking lot in church in South Georgia. There would be five ladies there with five baskets.
2080.000000 2085.000000 It's like give away a basket, give two back, give away three, give five back. It got some out of cutting hard to drive the motor home.
2085.000000 2094.000000 I had baskets all clamped in behind me. Scarlet's like, "What are we going to do with all these baskets?" I said, "Well, we ain't going to give them away."
2094.000000 2110.000000 You can't out give God. Faith never overdrawls God's account.
2110.000000 2114.000000 But I'll tell you this, you rob God, he'll rob you. You know what the Bible says?
2114.000000 2125.000000 In 1 Corinthians 9-6 he says, "He who soes sparingly will reap, sparingly." But he who soes boundfully will reap boundfully.
2125.000000 2131.000000 That's God's principle, not mine. You can't out give God. Matter of fact, God said, "Here's what He said in our passage."
2131.000000 2138.000000 He said, "I'll open the windows having so much, I'll open the floodgates, pour out so much blessing, you won't even have a place to put it."
2138.000000 2147.000000 And I thought, "Why in the world with God?" And always wisdom, give so much to people knowing they don't even have a place to store it.
2147.000000 2157.000000 Because he knows they're not going to try to store it. See, the principle is not give in order to receive, like a lot of people on a preach.
2157.000000 2172.000000 You don't give to get. The principle is you give to get. To get to give. You give to get to give. To give.
2172.000000 2182.000000 To give to give. Amen. Y'all picking up what I'm putting down. Hey listen, listen, God blesses funnels, not sponges.
2182.000000 2195.000000 God blesses channels, not reservoirs. I'm telling you, there's a whole series I can preach on this. The primary posture in the New Testament for the believer is rest and receive.
2195.000000 2206.000000 And anything that messes that up is not of God. Rest and receive. And God says, "Watch this. I'll pour out for you such blessing you won't have room enough to receive it."
2206.000000 2212.000000 He knows you're going to keep it moving anyway. Well, I'm afraid I'll give. I will give. I'll give so much. I'll lose.
2212.000000 2222.000000 Listen, last time I checked, when you sit in water through a funnel, that funnel gets soaking wet too in the process.
2222.000000 2232.000000 The most blessed people that you'll ever meet are those with big hearts who want to give the most.
2232.000000 2240.000000 I was preaching in Georgia one time, saw a couple come forward at the end of the service after the church. I was sitting in the pastor's office.
2240.000000 2251.000000 That young man who came forward that night called the pastor, said, "Can I talk to Scott?" He handed me the phone. He said, "Scott, we're new believers. We've never tithed. We committed a night. We'll start tithing."
2251.000000 2264.000000 Then I went home, wrote the check. We're mailing the check tomorrow, so we won't spend it before Sunday. He said, "While my wife is licking the envelope, he said, "I check my voicemail."
2264.000000 2271.000000 And while we were in church, somebody called and said, "Somebody been waiting to hear from." He said, "For three weeks."
2271.000000 2280.000000 He said, "Jeff, I've changed my mind about that horse you got for sale. I do want it after all. I'll be at your house in the morning with a check for $1200."
2280.000000 2299.000000 I met a retired pastor's wife who heard this message. She decided she was going to start tithing. They didn't have the money. They had bought a restaurant after retiring from ministry, and the restaurant wasn't doing well. They were trying to sell it. She said, "Scott, I'm old school. I reconcile everything by hand."
2299.000000 2311.000000 She wrote the check for the tithe. She said, "When I went to reconcile it, I saw it would overdraw my account by $450. That's more money came in for the check out of the church."
2311.000000 2324.000000 She said, "But the next day, she said, "I got my bank statement. I reconciled my bank statement. I realized I was an error in my check log by $450 in my favor."
2324.000000 2335.000000 I was preaching Northfolk, not far from here, a place called Warwick Baptist Church years ago, and the sky walked in on a Wednesday. He said, "Scott, you preach on stewardship Sunday night. I committed a tie to my wife and I retired."
2335.000000 2347.000000 He said, "But I got incredible news. I said what news?" He said, "Today." This is a Wednesday. Last night of the services, he said, "Scott, today my boss walked in unannounced and just randomly just gave me a raise."
2347.000000 2356.000000 I said, "Man, it's incredible." He said, "No, that's not the best part." He said, "It was a 10% raise. My raise covers my tithe."
2356.000000 2360.000000 Amen.
2360.000000 2373.000000 At a pastor called me a year after I was at his church, a preachal stewardship. The pastor said, "Scott, there was a young couple here who had not been tithing. They started tithing that week. They've been married six years trying to get pregnant, could not conceive."
2373.000000 2378.000000 He said, "They started tithing within three months." He said, "They were pregnant with their first child."
2378.000000 2388.000000 Amen. Sometimes it's not even about money. Here's what it is. Listen, this is not money matters. Why does money matter? Because it's not a wallet issue.
2388.000000 2399.000000 It is not a fiduciary issue. It is a heart issue for a man's treasure is there. His heart is also.
2399.000000 2406.000000 The reason we hold back financially is because we're holding back right here.
2406.000000 2417.000000 I'm telling you, money is the easiest and fastest platform on which to learn childlike faith in God.
2417.000000 2422.000000 It's the easiest and fastest platform to watch God respond to your faith.
2422.000000 2436.000000 And that's why, listen to me, that's why when we settle this issue about tithing and offering, I'm telling you, you watch God work. It increases faith in every other dimension of your life, for your marriage, for your kids, for your future, about every other, and your health. Amen.
2436.000000 2439.000000 If you'll start right here.
2439.000000 2449.000000 One time a pastor asked his congregation to stand for the offering, and then he said, "I want you to reach over and take out your neighbor's wallet."
2449.000000 2455.000000 And then he said, "Open it up and give like you always want to give."
2455.000000 2460.000000 Served by stand to their feet right now, and don't have kidding, I'm kidding.
2460.000000 2470.000000 Here's what I'm telling you. You can give like that. Why? Because it's not your wallet.
2470.000000 2478.000000 It's his wallet. It's not your source or your resource. He's the source of the resource. It all belongs to him.
2478.000000 2485.000000 You can trust him with a tie, then you can trust him with a remaining 90%. If you steward well, you'll see good things.
2485.000000 2490.000000 God always keeps his promises. And he honors those who trust him.
2490.000000 2496.000000 Let's stand together. Head's bowed eyes closed all over the auditorium. I want to make something very clear as we close.
2496.000000 2503.000000 And that is simply this, you cannot tithe your way to heaven.
2503.000000 2511.000000 You can be a great tither and bustle a lot open without Jesus. And the fact of the matter is Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life.
2511.000000 2518.000000 Died on a cross, not as a great teacher, not as a martyr, not as a revolutionary, not even as a moral example.
2518.000000 2523.000000 He died on the cross to take the full wrath of God for your sins and for my sins.
2523.000000 2529.000000 He said, "I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life." And no man comes to the Father, but by me.
2529.000000 2536.000000 I want to be clear today, this church believes what I'm about to say, and I believe what I'm about to say, because the Bible teaches what I'm about to say.
2536.000000 2544.000000 Jesus is not a way to God, He's not the main way to God, He's not a better way to God, He's not the best way to God, He's the only way to God.
2544.000000 2552.000000 And so if you've never received Christ as your Lord and Savior, there's no good work that you can do to get that. It is a free gift to be received.
2552.000000 2561.000000 We battle over the room, there's two things. Number one, if you already know Jesus, would you pray for anyone watching online or in this room that doesn't know Jesus? That they would come to know Jesus right now.
2561.000000 2568.000000 If you can't pray that because you know there's never been a time in your life where you meant it and gave your heart to Christ and received his gift of salvation.
2568.000000 2575.000000 Then would you right now say to him, "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, just say that in your heart to him. Lord, I admit that. My sin separates me from you.
2575.000000 2582.000000 There's nothing I can do that can earn salvation so I receive that gift right now. Come into my heart.
2582.000000 2591.000000 Wash away all my sins, save my soul, give me a new heart and help me to follow you all the days of my life.
2591.000000 2594.000000 Thank you Jesus for dying on my cross in my place.
2594.000000 2602.000000 Thank you for rising from the dead and thank you for hearing this prayer and making me your own child today.
2602.000000 2613.000000 Help me to grow in you and take me to heaven when I die and may you be honored every day of my life as you live your life through me in Jesus name.
2613.000000 2625.000000 And if you prayed that prayer for the first time in your life knowing you meant it, would you step out this morning, would you let someone know as we begin to close the service, pastoral closes, he feels glad.
2625.000000 2633.000000 But let someone know, maybe you want to talk to someone out there, maybe there's some here posted whatever the best way to do that is but don't leave this building.
2633.000000 2644.000000 Don't get in your car without saying to someone, "I prayed that prayer, I gave my heart to Jesus." Amen? For the rest of us, let's all just believe God.
2644.000000 2650.940625 Hey, God is good, he is faithful and it all belongs to him. Let's that like it. Let's that like it. Amen.