Consecrated - Message 5: God's Benefit Plan

INTRODUCTION: Turn to Psalms 1
For the past four weeks we’ve been looking at what it means to be CONSECRATED TO CHRIST. We’ve looked at issues of what it means to have a consecrated:
Body
Mind
Wallet
And Heart

Today the Lord wants me to talk to you about the BENEFITS OF LIVING CONSECRATED TO CHRIST. In other words – what should a person expect to GAIN if they follow Jesus as Lord?

PRAYER

LOOK AT PSALMS 1
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalms 1:1-6, NIV.

GOD says: There are certain benefits, certain blessings that come to those who follow me.

Verse 1 says: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

Have you ever been to the LA County Fair? Or any other large fair? At those fairs they sell the coolest stuff that you do not need. Mops, car wax, inkjet refill kits, ladders, Those “As Seen on TV” products – anything you can possibly imagine is right there for you to purchase – and at ‘Special Fair Prices’. Those companies employ salespeople whose job it is to get you into their booths. If they can DISTRACT you from where you were going, ATTRACT you to themselves, it won’t be long before you are signing the CONTRACT to purchase their item.

This is exactly what God is telling us in verse 1:
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” – your life is better when you do not allow the temporary to DISTRACT you from the eternal! DISTRACTION from your purpose as a child of God is one of the first tools that the enemy uses to ‘get you’.

You are walking along with God, just fine, then suddenly, you have an extremely busy week. Work goes into hyperdrive, the cars break down, you forget to make a deposit and you are bouncing checks, your toilet backs up – whatever – and suddenly you are not focusing your life on the goal of being in Christ – you are focusing your life of putting out the latest fire – and you are DISTRACTED by the world.

As soon as the salesperson has you distracted – he will try his best to ATTRACT you.

God says: “Blessed is the man who… does not stand in the way of sinners…”

You’ve stopped walking and you are now standing, listening to what the salesperson has to say and looking at what he has to sale. If they are smart, they let you touch it, maybe they’ll give you a sample of what you can cook with it…

God says – you are better off not to stop and listen to what this world is trying to sell you. Keep moving forward. Because as soon as you stop – they will have ATTRACTED you to what they’ve got.

Because – when you allow DISTRACTION and ATTRACTION to work… it won’t be long before you are signing the CONTRACT.

God says: “Blessed is the man who… does not sit in the seat of mockers…”

When you stop walking, and stand – you’ll soon be seated. You’ll soon join in. You’ll soon be signing the CONTRACT.

God says: Your life is benefited by staying focused on the goal of being with me! Don’t allow yourself to get DISTRACTED, ATTRACTED and CONTRACTED! You’ve got to stay CONSECRATED TO CHRIST – He is the goal. He is the objective. He is the purpose. Nothing else matters!

Look at verse 2:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” V.2

Instead of allowing the world systems to distract, attract and contract you – away from your true purpose…
• The Consecrated Christian Life Enjoys God! V. 2
Delight in God! – The result of living consecrated to Christ is that you will come to really, truly enjoy your relationship with God! No kidding – simply being with Him is way better than anything this old world has to offer!

The Hebrew word for ‘delight’ in verse 2 is: “kayfets” – and it means: “pleasure, delight, enjoy”

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 37:4….
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4, NIV.

When being with God is my greatest desire – when He becomes the object of my life – then of course He will meet my heart’s desire!

What is the desire of the consecrated believer? Look at verse 2 again:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” V.2

What is the law of the Lord? It is His revelation to mankind! In other words – the desire of every consecrated Christian is to hear the voice of God!

When you’ve begun to hear the voice of God – in worship, in prayer, in the Bible, in prophecy, in stillness – nothing else can top that!

To know that you are hearing the voice of the One who made all that there is – the voice of the One who is Almighty – the voice of the One who loves me with a perfect love – what can possibly compare?

Now that is a benefit that is hard to beat!

Now, look at verse 3 – because God reveals some more benefits to the consecrated Christian:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life is planted deep and fed well! V. 3

What makes a tree strong? Water going to its root system! God says: If you will consecrate your life to me – I will nourish the deepest parts of you! How does He do this?

“Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive.” John 7:38-39 Message

God gives us His Holy Spirit to live within our spirit – The Spirit gives us counsel, guidance, power, gifts, the ability to hear the voice of the Lord! The Spirit enables us to be involved with God in the miraculous!

Nothing will feed you – nothing can be more satisfactory than to participate with God in His miraculous works!

Now – look at verse 3 again:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life produces fruit! V. 3

You see, when your life is given over to Christ – consecrated – this enables the Holy Spirit to work within you to develop you, to mature you, to overcome your childish ways, to take back the rightful leadership over your body and soul – so that then, and only then, the fruit that God intended from the beginning can grow in your life!

You were created to live a glorious, beautiful, and powerful life. As you walk with Christ, the flesh is put off, the soul is under God’s control – and the Authentic You – that God created in His image begins to be revealed!

You know those character traits that the Authentic You desires? Returning anger with love, Forgiving those who harm you, Habits that glorify God – these desires can be realized! This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit living within!

You cannot produce these fruits, that’s not your job. Your job is to do what Jesus said in John 15:5…
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5, NIV.

Be consecrated to Christ – live in Christ – He will produce the fruit!

Look at verse 3 again:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life stays strong and healthy! V. 3

The evidence of a healthy tree is the condition of its leaves. Leaves that are strong and beautiful show that life is flowing within the tree!

Christ wants your life to be strong and healthy – up the very end of your days on earth!

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:16:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

Every one of us – will face death. If you live long enough, you’ll face old age. Your body will wear out. But – your Spirit – that’s another issue! God promises that so long as you remain consecrated to Christ, your spirit will stay strong and healthy! You will soar!

Too many Christians think that its okay to get bitter, brittle and beligerant – I’m hear to say: God has a better plan for you as you walk with Him! He promises that your leave will not wither up and die! You can become better! You can become beautiful! Why? Because you are the Beloved!

One last promise in verse 3: “Whatever he does, prospers!”

• The Consecrated Christian Accomplishes His Purposes! V. 3

And how could it be any other way? When you are sold out to the purposes of God – rest assured that the purposes of God will be fulfilled in your life!

Too many Christians are willing to settle for scraps from God’s table, when you are invited to sit with Him at the banquet! Your life matters! You and God can do anything He sets His mind too! All you’ve got to do is be consecrated to Him and His purposes, and He will do in you and through you exactly what He has planned.

Acts 13:36 says:
“For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died…” Acts 13:36

This can be said of each of us as we live consecrated to Christ!

Verses 4 & 5 tell us what the fate will be of the stubborn self-willed people who do their own thing:
“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”

What happens to the self-willed?

• Their lives have no substance – ‘chaff’
• Their lives cannot withstand storms – ‘the wind blows away…’
• They cannot stand in the Presence of God!
• They cannot stand being with Authentic Christians

Do you know why Christians are persecuted? Because are lives demonstrate the need for submission to God!

Verse 6 says: “For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Your personal choices determine outcomes!

• Chose to be consecrated to Christ – and you are guaranteed the watchful eye of God all the days of your life! Every stretch of the road of life – a constant companion and one who knows the road. He will see you through the death of loved ones, he will see you financial uncertainty, he will see you through marital problems, miscarriages and malignancies! There is nothing that comes as a surprise to Him and there is nothing that He cannot overcome for you!

• Chose to live self-willed – and you will not enjoy life! Self-willed means self-directed. And frankly, you don’t know the way through life. You cannot do it on your own. You can try, but you will fail.

CONCLUSION:
God says: Your life will be blessed when you give it over to me! I will pour out real life in exchange for your worn out life! Everything you ever dreamed can come true – only better!

Consecration is daily choice. A CHOICE that no one can make for you – it is personal and it is yours to make.

Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan River and addressed the people of Israel, just prior to going into the Promised Land:
“If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve - and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God." Joshua 24:15 Message

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

Consecrated - Message 4: A consecrated heart

INTRODUCTION: TURN TO 1 PETER 3:15
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15, NIV.

Today, we are going to discover what it means to have hearts set apart for Christ.

PRAYER

1. MY HEART IS GOOD. Ezekiel 36:26-27

God – through His prophet Ezekiel, spoke to what His intentions towards were – hear with the ears of your heart this truth from God:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26, 27, NIV.

Outside of a relationship with Christ, our hearts are in deep trouble. They lead us astray and generally cannot be trusted. This is what Jeremiah meant when he said:
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

But the cure for our hearts came when we allowed Jesus access to them!

In Christ – your heart has been…
• Transformed not reformed!

Jesus told Nicodemus that… ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:7, NIV

God gave us the Law of Moses to show us out desparete need for transformation – not reformation! The difference between transformation and reformation is that in reformation you are cleaning up and polishing what already exists, but in transformation you are changing something at it’s very core and nature. Christ said – ‘you must be born again’ – meaning that we need a complete makeover – a complete fresh start – a complete and utter transformation.

And transformation is exactly what happens to us when we come to Christ!

Paul put it this way in Galatians 6:15:
“It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.” Galatians 6:15 NLT

And this is exactly what Christ did for you and I – He made us – at the very core of our beings NEW PEOPLE! In order to do that he had to…
• Remove my old heart! (The Cross of Christ)

Look again at Ezekiel 36… “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

This is what Christ did on the cross – He did far more than simply forgive you your sin and tell you to ‘go about your business – trying harder to be good!’ – NO!

According to Romans 6:10-11, here’s what happened in the cross of Christ:
“Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time -- enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:10-11 NCV

Christ’s death killed off the power of sin to rule our lives!

But there’s more – for after he removed the heart of stone – He…
• Replaced with a New Heart! (The Resurrection of Christ)

There is far more to the Gospel Message than the Cross of Christ!

We’ve received a heart transplant – where there was death – we are now ALIVE! And our hearts have been made GOOD in Christ!

And the key to this is the resurrection of Christ!

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:14,17

Without resurrection – we are hopeless and dead! But with resurrection – everything changes for us!

What did the Apostles and early church fathers focus on? THE RESURRECTION of Christ!

“…the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” Acts 4:2, NIV.

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33, NIV.

“…Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” Acts 17:18, NIV.

John Eldredge wrote: “The reason the first and closest friends of Jesus focused on miracles, healing, and hopeful aspects of the faith such as the Ascension and Resurrection was simply that those are what God Himself wants us to focus on. Those are the point. Those make Christianity such very good news. A dead man is not a great deal of help to us; a dead God is even worse. But life, real life, the power of God is restore you… now that’s a whole nother matter.”

Jesus says in Matthew 12:33 says…“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good…” Matthew 12:33 – and that is exactly what He had done for you – He has made you a good tree! He has given you a good heart!

And – it is in this new and good heart…
• Where God lives!

The New Testament teaches us that are bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit – but where is the Holy of Holies – where is the place that GOD lives?

“…Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” Ephesians 3:17

The Holy of Holies – the Dwelling Place of God – is in your HEART!

Your heart has been made GOOD by Christ – so SET IT APART for Christ!

With all of this being true – it should come as no surprise that…
2. MY HEART IS UNDER ATTACK.

If someone were to write a story – or make a movie – about your life – there would be a common theme running through it: You have been under attack. The enemy of your heart is out to get you. He works full time assaulting you and doing everything in his power to cause you to lose heart.

That’s why God’s Word says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Jesus helped us to see the true nature of our enemy:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Satan wants to kill you – and at the very least, he wants you to believe his lies. WHY? Because he fears what will happen when you start to live out of your true heart! You are a powerful source for good and for God in this world as you walk in the power of the resurrection! And anything that the enemy can do to keep you down is exactly what he’ll do.

Your heart is under attack.

Have you noticed how hard it can be to stay in a place where you are actually believing that you matter to God? That your heart is good? That God really truly cares and is actively involved in your life?

Have you noticed how easy it is to fall into a place of doubt – about yourself, about those around you and about God?

Your heart is under attack.

Then enemy works through subtle accusations, hoping that we will agree with him. Here’s some examples:
• You have an argument with your daughter on the way to school – “Well, I blew it again. Like usual. I am such a lousy parent…”

• You arrive late for an appointment, rushed and out of breath – “Late again? Why can’t I get anywhere on time? What is wrong with me? I wouldn’t blame them if they left without me…”

• You decide to pray, but suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere vile, filthy thoughts fill your mind – or – you cannot get quiet inside and all of your ‘to-do’s’ that aren’t done start crowding out space in your head for God – and you give up: “This prayer thing doesn’t work. I just get more and more frustrated – and how could God love me when I think such horrible thoughts…”

Your heart is under attack.

The Remedy? MAKE NO AGREEMENTS! The voice of God never condemns! The voice of God never leads to confusion and discouragement! MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!
The voice of Satan kills and confuses – MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!

• Do not AGREE with words that bring you down!
• Do not AGREE with words that are condemning!

Tell that lying spirit to go to Hell in Jesus name! MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!

INSTEAD – Ask the Lord: “What would you say to me? What do you want me to believe in this moment?” And – when Jesus speaks – AGREE! EMBRACE! SPEAK FAITH!

But how do I know what Jesus says about my heart?
3. MY HEART NEEDS REVELATION. Ezekiel 36:27

Look again at Ezekiel 36 – verse 27: “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

God puts His Spirit within you – so that you are empowered to see with the eyes of His Spirit! You have the Holy Spirit so that you can have revelation of what God is really saying about you!

Jesus said in John 14:26…
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

It’s as if Jesus said: “I am giving you the Holy Spirit for this very purpose: To give you revelation! To teach you the truth about who I am, what I am doing, who you are in me!”

The attack against you is great, and you cannot fight this fight with the eyes of your mind, flesh or emotions – you need spiritual eyesight, you need revelation. If you are going to ‘set apart Christ as Lord’ you’ve got to learn to see with the eyes of the heart!

Look at Ephesians 1:18
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

Paul isn’t using clever words here – he is going to battle for us: “God, open the eyes of their hearts – let them see things as they really are! They feel despair – show them the hope! They feel isolated and on their own – let them see your glorious plans for them! Open their spiritual eyes! Give them revelation!”

Paul also write in 2 Corinthians 4:16…
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

• In a life filled with trouble – do not lose heart!
• Instead – fix your eyes on the unseen – fix your spiritual eyes on the things of God, on the eternal!

In Ephesians 1:17 we read…
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

Do you need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation?
Do you need to know Him better?

If Paul can ask – so can we.

We are going to take a very practical step right now – we are going to ASK God to give us spiritual eyesight – to give us revelation of Himself – to give us wisdom – to help us know Him better!

We are going to use the song “Open the Eyes of My Heart” as a tool. As we sing – seek the Holy Spirit. As we sing – seek the answers to your struggles. As we sing – place your heart before Him and ask Him for what you need in the battle.

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

What is God revealing to you?

Now – do these three things:
1. Agree with what He has revealed.
2. Agree to what He wants you to do.
3. Praise God for His revelation.

In the battle against your good heart, set your heart apart for Christ!

Consecrated - Message 3: A consecrated wallet

INTRODUCTION: TURN TO GENESIS 14:18

We are talking about LIVING CONSECRATED FULLY TO CHRIST.

Consecration means that you are dedicated to a single purpose: Loving God.

Today, I’m going to talk about the issue of TITHING and how tithing can demonstrate love for God.

PRAYER

1. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT TITHING

• The Old Testament

Abram and Melchizedek – Genesis 14:18-20
The first time we see the word ‘tithe’ in the Bible is in the first book of the Bible – Genesis. Look at Genesis 14:18… The people of God have been robbed and kidnapped by neighboring tribes and Abram and 318 trained men went after them! They had a great victory and after the victory we read this:

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” Genesis 14:18-20, NIV.

Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe – 10% of everything that had been reclaimed in the battle! The word ‘tithe’ literally means “10% or a tenth”.

I want you to notice some really cool things in this passage:

• Melchizedek – in the Hebrew means: King of Righteousness
• And Melchizedek comes from “Salem” which means “Peace” – So Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and Peace.
• Melchizedek brings Abram ‘bread and wine’ – a foretelling of the King of Righteousness and Peace (Jesus) bringing bread and wine as a symbol of His body and blood!
• Most Biblical scholars believe that Abram was visited by Christ Himself in the person of Melchizedek!
• And Abram gives the Christ figure a tithe. GET THIS: Abram didn’t have to – he chose to!

The Law of Moses – Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:10
The second time we see the word ‘tithe’ in the Old Testament is in Leviticus 27:30 – in the middle of the Law of Moses.

“‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” Leviticus 27:30

The Law of Moses says that all of God’s people are to bring a tithe of everything they produce to the Lord – that in fact, the tithe BELONGS to the Lord.

In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi lays this promise of blessing to those who will tithe to the Lord:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and 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.” Malachi 3:10

This demonstrates the purpose of the tithe: That God’s work will be provided for.
But God also lays down a challenge: “Test me… see if blessings will come!”

I have never known a faithful Christian who regrets tithing to the Lord. They have benefited far more than they have given out!

• The New Testament – 2 Corinthians 9:7

There is no scripture in the New Testament that directly tells Christians that they must tithe. Yet, how can we – permanently rescued from sin do possibly do less than people who were under law?

The Apostle Paul wrote of this freedom in 2 Corinthians 9:7…
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV.

New Testament teaching concerning tithing identifies several things that the Old Testament doesn’t:
1. Giving is a matter of the heart.
2. Giving that honors God isn’t done reluctantly.
3. Giving that honors God doesn’t come from obligation.
4. Giving that honors God is giving that is done cheerfully!

Beth and I – before we were ever married – chose to give at least a tithe – at least 10% - to the work of the Lord – because we knew that any less than 10% wouldn’t require faith and wouldn’t really be a stretch for us. And God has blessed up incredibly. In a million different ways that I can’t even list.

I want to talk to you about what happens inside a believer who becomes a consistent tither. TURN TO MATTHEW 6:19

2. WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE – Matthew 6:19-33

In 25 years of ministry, I’ve seen these truths I’m about to share with you lived out in hundreds of lives. Let me put it simply: There is a distinct and measurable difference in the level of spiritual maturity between those who learn to tithe and those who won’t. You may not like me saying that – but it is true.

Jesus is teaching some important truths in Matthew 6 – we begin at verse 19-21

19 ¶ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Consistent tithing breaks the stronghold of materialism – Matthew 6:19-21

By tithing – you are investing in things that last, things that cannot be taken away by rust and robbers! You are investing in God’s economy – and God’s economy is eternal. And as you make this investment, your heart goes with it! The core of you becomes more and more about God and His Kingdom! Your spirit aligns with His Spirit and you experience a taste of eternity!

When you begin to tithe, you’ll start seeing material possessions more accurately. They don’t define you. They don’t make you special. They aren’t the goal of life. They exist to serve you – you don’t exist to serve them. Materialism no longer controls you! And isn’t that what you desire?

And – now look at verse 22-23
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

• Tithing frees me to move forward in the life of the Spirit! 6:22-23

When your ability to see the value of the things of God’s Spirit is made clear – everything else in your life will become clear as well! And you’ll be able to break free from the lesser things so that you can experience the BEST things – the things of God! And isn’t that what you desire?

Now look at verse 24:
24 “No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

• Tithing focuses my love where it belongs! 6:24

So long as I keep control over my wallet, I’m stopping God from leading me deeper into love with Him! I’ve got a divided heart – part of me wants to grow, part of me won’t let go and trust.

But when I finally release control into His hands, I find my love relationship with Him focused and moving forward! My heart is no longer divided. And isn’t that what you desire?

Now we go to verse 25-26:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

• Tithing overcomes my fear and anxieties. V. 25-26

Why don’t we let go? Because we are afraid.
What are we afraid of? That God won’t come through for us. That ultimately we are on our own.

So we grasp and cling to what we have, as if there is no God.
Listen with your heart right now: “Aren’t you more valuable than the birds of the air? Don’t you matter to God?”

When you begin to live in this kind of faith and trust – your fears are relieved and your anxieties dissipate. Why? Because God comes through – every time! And isn’t that what you desire?

Now, look at verse 27…
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

• Tithing demonstrates the care and provision of God for His people. 6:27-32

When you begin to live a consistent lifestyle of tithing, your eyes will be opened to His care and to His provision for you. You’ll stand in awe about how God comes through just in the nick of time!

But when you hold on to the control, you’ll begin to believe that ‘if it’s to be, it’s up to me!’ And what a sad way to live. For what happens to you if you are disabled and cannot work? What happens to you if the winds of the economy shift and you are left out in the wind?

When you tithe consistently – you are saying: “God, I believe that you will meet all of my needs according to your riches in glory!” Which is exactly what Paul wrote to another church:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

And isn’t that what you desire?

NOW, look at verse 33:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

• Tithing involves me in the purposes of God on earth! 6:33

Tithing is a vital part of involving yourself in God’s purposes on earth! It isn’t all of it, but it is an important part.

And when I think of the people of this church – I think: There’s a group of people who could go to church anywhere – they could go disappear in the anonymity of the local mega-church – but they stay. Why? Because – I believe – it is because you see that we are increasingly becoming a Body of Believers who are taking God’s promises seriously and we are seeking to become a truly spiritual people. And, isn’t that what you desire?

So, if I’m not a tither -
3. WHAT DO I DO TO TITHE? - 2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2

We look again at 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV.

• Make a decision of the heart to give

Now, 1 Corinthians 16:2 says:
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” 1 Corinthians 16:2

• Every Sunday after payday – give what your heart has decided to give.

Do this even when you miss Sunday services or go on vacation – because you are tithing to the Lord, not paying an admission ticket to church services.

Do this – every time you get paid – week after week, month after month – and before you know, you’ll be a consistent tither!

CONCLUSION:

PRAYER – BREAKING THE STRONGHOLDS
• Acknowledge that you’ve trusted more in money than you have in God
• Confess that as sin
• Repent
• Confess that you believe that He is not only able to provide, but you are depending upon Him to do so.
• Ask Him to reorient your mind, your priorities and your finances to be consecrated to Him
• Decide in your heart to be – as of today – a consistent tither.
• Take action based upon your desire to love Christ!
• Praise Him for helping you make this change.