Let's dig into this chapter. I want to look at verse number 15 again
The Bible reads and it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early about the dawning of the day and compass
The city after the same manner seven times only on that day
They compass the city seven times and it came to pass at the seventh time when the priests blew with the trumpets
Joshua said unto the people
Shout for the Lord have given you the city and the city shall be accursed even it and all that are
There in to the Lord only Rahab the harlot shall live she and all that are with her in the house
Because she hid the messengers that we sent and you in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing
Lest you make yourselves accursed
When you take the of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it
But all the silver and golden vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the Lord
They shall come into the treasury of the Lord
So we have a really famous story here the story of Jericho and it's where the children of Israel
They walk around the city seven days and on the seventh day
They blow the trumpets after they go seven times specifically and all the walls come tumbling down
But there's something about this story
That's very interesting
It's the fact that God tells them that all the goods all the money all the silver all the gold is accursed
It's accursed and they're not allowed to take it personally that all the money all the goods all the silver everything
That's in the city is supposed to be consecrated unto the Lord
It's supposed to go into his sanctuary go into his treasury that they're not allowed to take of the spoils of war from Jericho
Specifically now, what does it mean for something to be accursed?
Well according to the dictionary it says to consign to destruction
Misery or evil by a curse to consign to destruction meaning that it's just appointed under destruction or misery or
Evil and some manner now the word accursed in your Bible is only found in a few different places
Okay, this is one of the most iconic stories and it mentions it many times
We just read it like several times right in a row
But the first time it's mentioned go if you would have Deuteronomy 21
I want to kind of give you an idea here of what this means to be accursed and
The thought of my sermon this morning is this hiding the accursed thing
Hiding the accursed thing because we have a story here where God gives a strong warning about not taking of the accursed thing
Not partaking in something that's accursed now look at Deuteronomy 21 verse 23
Here's another mention of accursed
It says his body should not remain all night upon the tree
But thou shalt in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God
That thy land be not defiled
Which the Lord thy God giveth thee for inheritance so the Bible says someone that hung on a tree if that was the way they
were executed or killed that they were literally accursed of
God and this is prophetic of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself
Go if you would to Romans chapter 9
I'll read for you in Galatians the Bible says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
Being made a curse for us for it is written curse it is everyone that hangeth on a tree
So if we think about the dictionary definition of someone consigned to destruction
Isn't that pretty adequate and fit well with the fact that someone that's hung on a tree is consigned to destruction
And isn't that what Jesus Christ did for us is he took the curse of law what is the curse of the law?
Well the Bible says for the wages of sin is death
So to take on the curse of sinning of breaking God's law is to take on death
Literally and Jesus Christ literally had to die for us
He took that curse upon himself by hanging on the tree
And he was truly a curse of God the Bible says in Romans chapter 9
Here's another mention of the way it curses use the Apostle Paul says in verse 3 for I wish that myself were accursed from Christ
for my brethren my kinsmen according the flesh now
Understanding a curse you see the extremity
You see the elaboration of the Apostle Paul saying man
I wish I was consigned to death from Christ just to get my brethren safe, but this is obvious
hyperbole this is obvious that the Apostle Paul is
Exaggerating and magnifying this statement so as to make it clear how he truly feels in his heart
But what he's truly saying is that he wishes he was consigned to destruction
Just if he could get the children of Israel
Saved go to Galatians chapter 1 and you say well, maybe Paul didn't understand how bad that was well
He talks about other people being accursed and and we know how bad it is
now again
Obviously the word curse is found in your Bible hundreds of times
Okay
But the specific phrase of a curse is kind of like a state of being cursed and the few times it's mentioned
It's always just complete death or destruction or the worst type of punishment imaginable
That's why the Apostle Paul said that he's trying to say hey
I wish I had the worst possible punishment could be given unto me just so that my brethren could be saved
That's obviously the point that he was trying to make so he's using the strongest terms to condemn himself in a hypothetical
Situation now if we were going to try and pick the worst people on the planet
Like who is the absolute scummiest of the scum on the planet?
I mean people like Hillary Clinton come to mind right, you know people like Joe Biden come to mind
people that are murderous
People that you know force men or force women or you know sodomites
But you know who's worse than all those people
false prophets
The absolute scum of scum the worst possible person on this planet. I mean the person doing the most
Damage is a false prophet and so if I were to try and find the worst person on this planet
I mean the absolute scummiest of the scum. What would I wish for them?
I would ask for them to be accursed and this fits perfectly with what Galatians says Galatians chapter 1 verse 8
But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you
Let him be accursed
What does that consign to destruction? It's not like you're wishing a Merry Christmas here
You're not saying hey, I hope you get saved someday. You're not saying well, I hope you watch the track from our church
No, you're saying I hope that he dies. I hope that he's destroyed
Look you're a hypocrite if you wish that fags would be put to death
But you don't wish that false prophets would have the same condemnation. That's ridiculous. That's nonsense
Says in verse number nine as we said before so say now again, you know
I like those verse not only is he gonna repeat the same thing twice. He's saying I told you this before too
Hey, let me remind you of how I feel and how you should feel so say I now again
If any man preached any other gospel unto you then that you ever see let him be accursed
That's what the Bible says. So now what we see that what it means to be a curse that's bad
Right a curse does not have a positive mention. There's no lightning
There's no lessening of the severity of being accursed
So when God is saying in Joshua chapter number six don't take of the accursed thing
Is this just kind of a light thing or is this a serious thing?
This is a very serious thing now
I'm going to show you a couple other places where people are accursed just so you have an idea of just cursing in general
Go back. You go to second Kings chapter number two second Kings chapter number two
Let's see if cursing has this similar definition that we've been seeing it from the dictionary and on
Other places in the Bible. How about just things that are cursed what happens to them? Okay, look at second Kings chapter 2 verse 24
And
He turned back the second about Elisha and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord
So there's there's these children. They're mocking Elijah go up that bald head go up that bald head
What does it mean to be a curse?
Consigned to destruction look at the next part and there came forth two she bears out of the wood and tear 40 and two
children of them
That sounds like they were appointed to destruction. It sounds like they were literally accursed
Go to Matthew 25 go to Matthew 25. I know we're just kind of jumping around the Bible for a moment, but I
want you to see that the Bible has a very consistent theme here of what it means to be a curse of
What the end of being accursed is and how severe it truly is to be accursed or to have a curse on you
From the Lord Matthew 25 look at verse 41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand
Depart from me ye cursed and the
everlasting fire
Prepared for the devil and his angels. So notice what Jesus says to the cursed
Go to hell
He says hey, you're gonna go into hell. You're gonna split hell wide open
Notice he didn't say oh you curse come into heaven. You're just misunderstood
No, he says if you're cursed, I mean you're going in everlasting fire
Go to mark chapter number 11 mark chapter look the things that God curses are damned
You know, you could think about false prophets in the Bible. It says that they're cursed children
Is that good no, it's horrible its damnation its destruction
It's condemnation to be accursed or to be cursed from God now, obviously
Evil people or enemies will try to curse us and you know, I preached the whole sermon, you know
Kind of dealing with that subject, but obviously Balaam will try to curse you all day long
But you know what if the Lord's gonna protect you
You don't have to worry about that
You have to worry about the evil curses that try to come upon you. You don't need to be worried about cursing you God
The Lord cursing you that's when you're appointed unto destruction. That's when you have no hope
Okay, mark chapter 11 look at verse 21 and Peter calling to remembrance saith unto master
Behold the fig tree which thou cursest is withered away
So when it comes to a tree appointed to destruction when it comes to people appointed under destruction
When it comes to the souls of men going to hell, I mean, it's a very consistent theme
but notice he said that the physical goods of
Jericho were a curse
Okay
Now go forward to Exodus 23. Let me explain you what's happening in this story because I
Just want to make it clear and then you're gonna you're gonna see with me with the Bible's teaching
But why would God have a curse the goods that were in Jericho? Well, I want you to understand this
It's not like the goods were physically cursed. It's that it wasn't theirs to take
So if they took it, it would bring a curse upon them
okay, some people have this weird idea that physical objects are somehow associated with people or something like that and
And there's some reason to believe that you know, like the house of the sodomites are broken down and you know
A leprosy house is gonna be destroyed and so it's possible for a physical building to even suffer some kind of a condemnation
But just because a bad person has something
Doesn't mean that the item that they're in possession of is somehow bad think about the Canaanites in the whole land of Israel
Okay, the the Canaanites are the most wicked people on the planet yet. God's gonna let them take over the promised land
It's not like he's saying. Oh the whole lands just ruined now. You can't have the land. No, it's fine
It's fine for them to inherit that land and it's fine sometimes to take over possessions from the wicked
You know the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just as what the Bible says, okay
So it's not like these physical items can never be redeemed
They're obviously gonna be redeemed into the Lord's Treasury. He literally says that you're gonna bring them into the Lord's Treasury
What would be wrong is to take the money?
Appointed to the Lord's Treasury take it for it's your own now
You're accursed now. You're taking the accursed thing because that's not yours to take
It's not something that's entitled into you. Now. You know what this whole story is really illustrating. It's the tithe
It's the tithe that is illustrating and you know why it's the tithe well think about this
What is the first city that they're gonna take over in the Promised Land? It's Jericho
It's Jericho is the first city now, what's the tithe it's supposed to be the first
10% of your money and so obviously God's just saying hey
I want you guys to trust me the first city you take over
It's all going to the Lord now that takes faith because in in the human perspective according to the flesh
You don't know if you're gonna win any more battles. And so the very first battle just all goes to the Lord
You're just kind of like, okay
Wouldn't that be monetarily too though if you give the first 10% of your money it's kind of like, okay
Well now I have the rest to
Leave over or I have to have the rest for myself
But here's the reality the tithe is associated with being the first fruits and God gives so many Commandments
Associated to this good exit 23 verse 19
The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God
Thou shalt not see the kid in his mother's milk
So notice he's saying look the first of the first fruits you bring to God
You know why because you're basically putting your faith in God that he's gonna provide for you
You're giving him the respect and the honor that's due unto him and you're elevating him to preeminence in your life by saying
He's gonna be the first if I'm gonna pay somebody first. It's gonna be God. It's gonna be the Lord
Look at Leviticus 27. Now look at Leviticus 27. He gave a lot of
specific Commandments clear Commandments that when they enter in the land
They need to tithe on the first fruits of all their increase and the first is gonna come to them
It makes perfect sense that Jericho the whole city oil would go to the Lord
Why because it's a picture of the tithe it's a picture of the first fruits going to the Lord
look at Leviticus 27 verse 30 and
All the tithe of the land whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree is
The Lord's it is holy unto the Lord. What does holy mean? It means set apart
It means you set something apart and say this is God's this is the Lord's so if you take what's God's now
You're taking the accursed thing for yourself
Obviously, it's not a curse to the Lord
But it'd be a curse to you to take that which is sanctified and set apart and holy unto God go to Numbers chapter
18 go to Numbers chapter 18
We're gonna see this in Exodus Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy
and I'm just showing you a small fraction of all the verses associated with the tithe of
Commandments associated tithing or the first roots, but I want to give you a sampling
So you have an idea of what the Bible is talking about look at numbers 18 verse 24
But the tithes of the children of Israel which they offer as a heave offering under the Lord
I have given to the Levites to inherit therefore. I have said unto them among the children of Israel
They shall have no inheritance now when they're entering in the Promised Land
They technically have 13 tribes and the reason why is because Joseph kind of gets split into two they have
Ephraim and Manasseh and because of this 13 number one tribe ends up getting no inheritance
So it goes back to 12 goes back to the 12 tribes and that's the Levites the Levites end up getting no inheritance
They're just priests of God and they're supposed to inherit amongst all the other 12 tribes
But they don't actually have own any possessions. It's like they're just permanent renters or something
They're just permanent lease holders where they just get to have certain provisions given to them among the other tribes
But it's the other tribes that satisfy and provide them with all of their substance all of their goods all their money
All their lands everything is just gifted unto them from the tribe in which that they're living and this is a picture of what?
The purpose of the tithe is that it goes to the work of the Lord
That it goes to the priests that it goes to the ministers of God so they can live so they can raise a family
so they have houses and
Specifically they can perform all the sacrifices of God and they don't have to go out and work on their own
They don't have to go to the field and plant crops and raise cattle and do all this other work to make sure that they
Have food on the table. They can just be dedicated to making sure that the incense doesn't go out
They can make sure they're offering
Sacrifices and petition for God's people that they can pray that they can do all the different ministries
They can study the Bible they can know what the law says they can offer all the correct offerings because it's very important
They can carry the tabernacle they can minister. I mean whatever it is that they have to do. They're going to do it and
Obviously you can only do so much work right and they don't God doesn't want his house to be put on the backburner
He doesn't want his ministers. So you just be moonlighting the whole time
Just like well, you know, sometimes I minister for God
But my real job is out in the field. My real job is going and doing all this secular work
No, it's he wants his ministers dedicated to him and in full-time service to him and the only way that's possible
Is with the type and we see the Bible
I'm not forsaken time going to go there but we see plenty of times where people forsake tithing they forsake giving money and then the
Levites they forsake serving the Lord
Because it's reality. Look it's no different in the New Testament if nobody gave money to the church
You know what the ministers would have to do they'd have to get a job
Okay, I have to provide for my wife I have to provide my children otherwise I'm worse than an infidel
So if the church can't give me money, you know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna work. I'm gonna go get a job
I'm gonna have to provide for my own right?
It's the exact same example we have in the Old Testament in the New Testament
Now go to Deuteronomy chapter 14 for a moment go to Deuteronomy chapter number 14
It makes perfect sense
That God would lay out this model and it works perfectly when everybody is doing their part
But when people are not doing their part, it's frustrating. What's frustrating?
Well, it's frustrating if you're a minister and nobody's tithing because now you have to go and work for it
Another thing is when everybody's tithing but then the ministers are not ministering that's frustrating, too
so you kind of have to have both right you have to have the minister doing his part and serving and
Doing the things of the Lord and being a good steward of God's money
And then you also have that people have the faith to you know
Tithing the Lord and bless the Lord and when both parties are in unison, you know what it's really successful
When people get out of whack though, there's major problems
Look at you don't know me 14 verse 22 thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed
That the field bringeth forth year by year now
God says it you need to tithe just so that I bless you
If you want me to continually give you good crops and continually give you money you better tie
You better make sure you're bringing in the tide and notice this of all the increase
He didn't say some of the increase are the parts that you want to give he said all of it
All the parts that you want blessed tie that portion now go if you would to Proverbs chapter number three
You say well, that's the law
Wow, that's a lot of law, you know
And why would Jesus Christ die on the cross so that his work would cease in the New Testament?
Because riddle me this if people aren't supposed to give or tithe in the New Testament
Then how is the church supposed to pay for things?
I'm all ears, you know
How are people and look most people don't really most ministers don't have a problem with this doctrine because they understand how it works
Okay, but there's plenty of people they'll be like, ah, that's the Old Testament
Well, you know Proverbs doesn't go through all the Old Testament sacrifice system and all the altar stuff, you know Proverbs just timeless
Proverbs just extends both in every direction
It's just timeless truths that are always given and you know what God put in Proverbs look at Proverbs 3 verse 9
honor the Lord thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine
you know when that's not true never it's always true and
In fact, even in the millennial reign when people do not go and worship the Lord
They don't come and bring offerings in the Lord. He's not gonna reign in their country
So, you know when this isn't true. Wait, it's always true
Hey
Abel Cain Abel, you know what Abel came and brought the firstling of the frog. You know what?
He was blessed his offering was blessed and obviously it's a picture of salvation by faith, but it's also the firstling of the flock
Also, we have Abraham before the law. He gives a tenth. He gives a tithe on the milk
He's a deck then it's mentioned in Hebrews chapter number seven and it says even though you give tithe to men that die
You know what the Lord receives them up in heaven and at the end of the day
It's not about the person you're tithing to it's about honoring the Lord
Notice it doesn't say honor the pastor with thy substance honor the church with thy substance
It says honor the Lord with thy substance and you know
Sometimes people give money to a church or a ministry thinking that they're doing it
You know for the Lord and they feel good about it
But it turns out that ministry is a is kind of a fraud or that pastors a bozo
I don't believe that God is gonna just withhold blessings from you because you in ignorance. We're trying to honor the Lord
I believe he will bless you and you know, I don't from an anecdotal perspective
Look, I grew up in a church where tithing was the only sermon they preached. Okay
It was like tithing mixed in with pre-trib. That was like the two sermons we got virtually every single week
So I I tithe because it was like well, how do you go to this church and not tie?
That's the only thing they preach on, you know
I'm like, I'm gonna do what they say and look that ministry was a fraud that ministry was a bozo
But you know what? I was trying to honor the Lord and I've never
Gone without financially. I've never had problems financially
And yeah, there's been times where I made a lot and I've made half of that and then you know went back
It's just been kind of an it can ebb and flow, but you know what?
I've always had all my needs provided for I've never had to hurt. Yeah
I have debt just like every other person in the United States virtually
But at the end of the day, you know what if you honor the Lord, he'll take care of you
He will provide your needs he will you know help you and all the financial areas that you need and
Honestly, I would rather be poor and tithe the Lord than be super rich and never tied
Why would I why would I want the house of the Lord to be forsaken so that I can have more goods
So that I could have more things it doesn't even make sense
go to go to 2nd Chronicles chapter 31 go to 2nd Chronicles chapter 31 and
I
I'm giving you a lot of doctrine quickly before we kind of get into the story
But I think it helps you understand the story because there's so many great aspects of Jericho and things that we could learn
but one of these is the fact that this
City all the goods in it was a tithe on the Lord. It was a firstfruits offering of Lord
It was dedicated and consecrated to the Lord and they were not supposed to take of it now
I want to tie this together with this this passage of Scripture because this passage of Scripture is going to help you
Understand this tie look at 2nd Chronicles 31 verse 1
Now when all this was finished all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah and break the images in
pieces and cut down the crows and
Threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim also and Manasseh
Until they had utterly destroyed them all then all the children of Israel return every man to his possession into their cities
So this is a time in which the children of Israel the children of Judah are getting right with the Lord
And they're destroying all the false gods and the false imagery that they had skip down to verse 4
Mover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites
That they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord
So when they're getting right with God and they're and they're going back to serving the Lord
Notice what the king is trying to command them to do
He says look you need to give the portion to the priests and the Levites notice this so they'd be encouraged in the law of
the Lord
You know, hey when you bless the house of God, you know what you do you encourage God's ministers to serve the Lord
You know, it's a discouragement when you're not giving them their portion when you're not providing for them
He says in verse number five and as soon as the commandment came abroad the children of Israel brought in abundance
the first fruits of
corn wine and oil and honey and of all the increase of the field and the
Tithe of all things brought they in abundantly
So notice it's time what we've already read about it being the first of what all thy increase
They're bringing it all into the house of God. It's the tithe. It's the portion of the ministers now
Let's keep reading verse 6 and concerning the children of Israel in Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah
They also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep and the tithe of holy things
which were
Consecrated unto the Lord their God and laid them by heaps now notice this it says that the tithe of holy things is what?
consecrated
Unto the Lord. So what does it say in Joshua chapter number six?
It said all the gold silver and everything was what consecrated unto the Lord
You know why because it was like the tithe it was a picture of the tithe
It's representative of giving that unto the Lord the Bible's crystal clear and it makes this tie
For us go back to Deuteronomy chapter number eight for a second and then I'm gonna go back to Joshua
But the Lord will give the children of Israel
the entire city of Jericho
Okay, and from a physical perspective
From a carnal perspective all the goods are in their possession
Okay, they're gonna literally pick up the gold. They're gonna literally pick up the silver
It's gonna be literally and their physical possession, but then you know what they need to do
They need to take that and then bring it in the Lord's Treasury
It's not like it just magically
Transported into the Lord's Treasury. No, they literally had to physically pick it up. They had to physically take it
They had themselves to put it into the Lord's Treasury and let me tell you this
God is gonna give you a hundred percent of your money
But then you have to physically take the tithe portion and then give it unto the Lord
Why as a symbol of your faith as a symbol of testing and proving you and making sure and look it was all yours to
Decide what you're gonna do with it
But he's telling you this portion give to me this portion give you know
And that's gonna be where the faith comes to fruition and there's gonna be a temptation for you to think this. Well, this is mine
I
Mean if you walk into the city of Jericho and you pick up the gold
Isn't there a temptation to say like this is my gold
This is my garment
This is my goods and the same would be this you go to work today
And they send you a paycheck and you say this is mine
It's all mine
But here's the problem. The tithe is the Lord's
It's not yours
Look at journaling chapter 8 verse 16 who fed thee and the wilderness with manna which thy fathers knew not that he might humble thee
And then I proved thee to do thee good at thy ladder in and thou shalt say in thine heart my power and
The might of mine hand have gotten me this wealth
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth the power to get wealth
Then he may establish his covenant which he sware in thy father's as it is this day
How soon could you forget that the whole reason you got Jericho was because the Lord made the walls come tumbling down
You didn't get that city. You did nothing you just walked in and just took you got the goods
I mean it was the easiest victory you've ever had in your entire life and the Bible is saying look all the stuff that you got
All the power you have to get wealth God gave you that
God just lets all the walls come tumbling down and just opens up in abundance to you and then people get this
Selfish prideful attitude of oh look what I've accomplished
Look, it's God that allowed you to even accomplish that in the first place
So to say that the tithe is his look it's all his or in some way shape or form
But he just only requires a 10% for you to give back to the Lord because the tithe is the Lord's now
Go to Joshua chapter 6 go to Joshua chapter number 6
And I want to keep going with this this foundation for a moment
But look at Joshua chapter 6 and look at verse 24
It says and they burnt the city with fire and all that was there in only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass
And of iron they put into the treasury of the house Lord
so notice they win the city they killed whoever was remaining and then they took all of the goods and they
Put them into the house of the Lord
But look at Joshua chapter 7 verse 1
Says but the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing
for Achan the son of Carmi the son of Zabdai the son of Zira of the tribe of Judah took of
The accursed thing and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel
So notice they for the most part did it for the most part took everything but there was a breach in following God's commandments
There was someone who did not follow God's commandments
There's someone who hid the accursed thing who took the accursed thing and it was Achan Achan
Had sinned and not only did he sin he's causing God to be angry with the entire group
No, it says it very clearly that he is the Lord's
The anger of the Lord was kindled notices against the children of Israel. He doesn't say just Achan
He says the children of Israel now look at verse number four now what happens is the children of Israel unaware
That someone has hidden the accursed thing that someone has taken to the occurs
They thought they follow God's commandments perfectly. So they're ready to go to the next battle
They're like, all right now knows for God this one's for us. All right, we're gonna get AI
Okay, they're gonna get artificial intelligence and they're gonna kick its butt. All right
But
Verse number four it says so there went up there there of the people about 3,000 men and they fled
Before the men of AI and the men of AI smote of them about thirty and six men for they chased them
from before the gate even unto
Shabirim and smoked them in the going down where for the hearts of the people melted and became his water and
Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide
He and the elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads
And Joshua said alas Oh Lord God
Wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us
What did God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan?
Notice Josh is ready to quit like that
You know, they just wiped out all of Jericho
They lose in a tiny skirmish and he's just like I wish we had just never even come over here. Let's just quit
Why God notice that even the strongest men of God have moments of doubt, right?
but this is kind of a weak attitude and God has to kind of rebuke Joshua for having such a weak attitude when it comes
To losing this battle, but notice other people were killed in battle died in battle for a can sin
It wasn't their fault that a can took the accursed thing necessarily
Obviously, maybe they should have gone in and and counted the ballots before they ran him through the machines
But you know, it's not necessarily
their fault
Per se I mean, you know
You can't necessarily be in control of all of the goods of every other person and what they did
Obviously a can was deceitful and what he did didn't he and here's the here's the reality when someone sins
It'll hurt innocent people lots of times
The
Sin of one person can destroy much good and it can harm a lot of innocent people down the pike
There's a lot of fathers who commit sin and it affects the children who were innocent
It affects their family who was innocent affects other people
There's victims to sin and there was a victim to a can sin in the battle of a I
Now the Lord does not like Joshua's attitude this week
Cowardly, you know second-guessing
Compromising attitude look at verse 10 and the Lord said unto Joshua get thee up
Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face
Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my covenant
which I commanded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and
Have also stolen and dissembled also and they have put it even among their own stuff
Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies but turn their backs before their enemies
Because they were accursed neither will I be with you anymore?
Except you destroy the accursed from among you
Now this is some strong language
God is saying someone took of the accursed thing someone sinned not only they take the accursed thing
They stole not only they steal they lied about it. They dissembled about it. What is dissembling?
Dissembling is being deceitful
It's a half truth. It's gaslighting. Okay. It's where they just kind of tell you one thing
They're kind of like yeah, I did it. Yeah, but then they're just really lying about it. They're misrepresenting the position
They're being deceitful. They're using some kind of a fraud and it's not clear. It's you ask somebody. Did you do something wrong?
No, I didn't that's dissembling, you know, just lying about it being deceitful about it or
Trying to pick certain wording so as it seems like you're not lying, but you really are lying, you know, that's also dissembling
It's like did you say this? Well, those
Were my exact words
But that's not what I meant
Well, I might have said that I don't know
I mean, it's just like these tricky weird weird things that people try to do like the siblings is in okay now
I have three quick points that I went in this sermon on is this
When you take the accursed thing point one you're cursed
Point two you're a thief and point three you're deceitful notice this right here from the text
They took the accursed thing
You're gonna be a curse because notice if you take the accursed thing and you don't destroy it
God says I'll never be with you again. I won't help you anymore
You're just appointed to destruction, you know, you have to get rid of the accursed thing unless you want me to forsake you
So they have to destroy the accursed from among you and notice I feel like this is just plain
He says you have to destroy the accursed. What does the curse mean?
Consigned to destruction and they say you have to destroy the accursed. You know what the accursed has happened
It's been a consigned to destruction by the Lord
Now this is what they're gonna do look at verse 13 up
Sanctify the people and say sanctify yourselves against tomorrow for thus saith the Lord God of Israel
There is an accursed thing in the midst of the o Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies
until you take away the accursed thing from
Among you so he keeps reiterating you got to take the accursed thing take the occurs of thing get rid of the accursed thing
And point one is this when you take the accursed thing you become accursed
You're cursed. Look if you take something that's not yours of the Lord's into your own possession. Now, you're cursed now
It's definitely gonna happen with Aiken and I want to go there
But I want to go to another story and illustrate this too because this is not a one-off story
But go for the second Kings chapter number five second Kings chapter number five
When you take something that's not yours the accursed thing a curse will come upon you
Second Kings chapter number five
This is a story about Elisha and name in the Syrian comes into Elisha and he gets healed of his leprosy
And when he gets healed of his leprosy name is so thankful he wants to give Elijah a bunch of money
He wants to give him a bunch of goods, but you know, Elijah is not in it for the money
Elisha is just a man of God. He's not there to get a buck. He's not there to get rich
He doesn't want people's money. He just wants to follow God's
Commandments. Okay, and so he refuses the money. Let's look at verse number 15 and
He returned to the man of God he and all his company and came and stood before him started about name
And then he said behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel now
Therefore I pray thee take a blessing of thy servant, but he said as Lord liveth before whom I stand
I will receive none and he urged him to take it, but he refused to notice Elijah
He's not interested in taking a gift of the Syrian. He's not interested in taking money from these other people
He just wants to be a blessing unto them, you know
And this could be a picture of you know in the New Testament how we're supposed to be a blessing unto the other nations
And other areas we go preach the gospel, you know, we're not gonna go and try to extract money from Africa
You know, we're not gonna go on a missions trip and try to get their money
I'm not interested in their money when I go soul winning
I'm not like now how much was that soul in presentation worth to you, buddy?
You know, I'm not and in fact when people offer me this is very rare
But I'm just saying I've been out soul winning and people have been out
So only where someone tries to offer the money or offer them some kind of you know
Financial blessing not like a bottle of water, but I'm just saying like literal money or soul winning
And I always refuse I always say I don't want your money
Now if they say if they insist and say I just want to give money to your church
Then I would put in the offering or whatever
But the the first reaction is I always refuse because I don't want their money
I'm not there to take their money and I don't want them to think that was even part of my agenda
Because if I just oh, yeah, sure you got any more, you know, it's like well
What was the point of me coming and preaching the guy they're gonna remember that more
They're gonna remember preach me preaching them in the gospel. Okay, so I'm not interested in taking people's money
Obviously they say you want a bottle of water. I'll say sure, you know, you want a cookie. I'm like, is it chocolate?
You know, you know just whatever I'll take something like that
But I'm saying I'm not interested in taking people's money and Elijah is not interested in taking people's money
and look the same greed of
Ministers who want to just take money and take these things. This is the same type of greed of people that hold back their tithe
And look at verse 20 says this but the haze I the servant of Elisha the man of God said behold
My master hath spared name in the Syrian and not receiving at his hands that which he brought
But as the Lord liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat of him now
You know one reason and this is just my personal opinion
You know one reason why I think
This is illustrated to where Elijah doesn't take any money and then get Hayes
I makes this statement is the show the freeness of salvation
Notice name and gets gets healed and saved for free doesn't he? He doesn't have to do any
He just has that faith in the Lord and he's completely saved and look what you Hayes. I think oh he spared him
He spared him from having to pay any money for this for this healing. It's like yeah. Hey, the gospel's free
Hey preaching the gospel is not something you have to go out. Hey, I'm not sparing you from having to give money
It's a free gift that God wants to give you that God wants to bless you with and it just shows the evil heart of
The haze I and other people. Oh, you're gonna minister to people for free, you know, there's churches they make you pay for tracks to give out
It's like what are you doing, you know, look the gospel should be free we should we don't sell the gospel we buy it
Okay
We're not supposed to sell the truth
We're supposed to give it out freely and you know what you Hayes?
I doesn't like giving out the truth freely because he's not interested in the truth. He's interested in a paycheck
You know what you Hayes I represents a lot of preachers today. A lot of them are like a Hayes I
He says in verse number
20 at the end he says as Lord liveth I will run after him and take somewhat of him
He's like I'm gonna get this guy's money verse 21
So gaze I followed after Naaman and when Naaman saw him running after him
He lied it down from the chariot to meet him and said is all well
And he said all is well my master has sent me saying behold even now
There be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets
Give them my prey the Italian of silver and two changes of garments
This makes me think of Judas when he's like you should have sold this ointment for 300 pence and given to the poor
Not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and he bear was taking the bag
Just like a Hayes I makes up some lie about blessing God's menace doesn't care about God's ministers or other people
He's a liar and a thief, isn't he?
He's gonna take what's what's born in the bag and you know Naaman doesn't bless the Hayes
I I'm sorry Hayes I doesn't bless name in any way. Yeah, he's I was only gonna take from him
He's gonna take advantage of him lie to him and hurt him. He's not a minister
I
Notice what he's a minister of himself
verse 23 and Naaman said be content take two talents and
He urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of garments and laid them upon two of his servants
And they bear them before him
When he came to the tower
He took them from their hand and bestowed them in the house and he let them in go and they departed
But he went but he went in stood before his master and Elijah said on them
What's comest thou to Hayes I and he said thy servant went no whither
Now he's assembling isn't he I
Didn't go anywhere. I went no whither, you know, and he'd tie him down. You're like, well, did you go somewhere?
Yeah, but it was kind of like in the middle of nowhere. So I wouldn't know whether right. No, he's just lying
Verse 26 and he said to them went not mine heart with thee
When the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee
Is it a time to receive money and receive garments and all of yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and men servants and maid
servants
the leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and that I see forever and he went out in the presence a
leper as white as snow
notice the curse of Naaman came upon Gehazi because he took of the accursed thing and
Look for what profit
How could you think about this what kind of nonsense is it for Gehazi to take this garment from Naaman
Is he gonna wear it at night? I
mean, he can't go around and wear it in front of
Elijah that would be a little obvious right? Hey, where'd you get the new jacket?
That looks like it came from Syria. Was it from Naaman the Syrian? It's like no
So just that night he has to get in the mirror. He puts on the guy. He's like, oh, yeah, I look so good
What's the point of having that garment
It wasn't even gonna do him any good. It wasn't gonna bless him
And in fact having the garment gives him something gives him an evil disease
It gives him a leprosy and makes him a curse and not only him his whole family
Gehazi is cursed his entire
Family go to Malachi chapter number three Malachi chapter number three
And you know what's sad about Achan is it does not only affect him it affects him and his whole family his entire
Family is destroyed and wiped off the face of the map
Because he took the accursed thing and the occurs came upon Achan it came upon Gehazi and you say why?
Why do you believe that pastor Shelley? Why do you believe God would curse somebody for taking his money?
Well, he plainly says it in Malachi chapter 3
Look at verse 7 even for the days your father's you're gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them
Returning to me and I will turn and you say at the Lord of hosts, but he said wherein shall we return?
Well, man robbed God yet. You have robbed me
But you say where do we robbed II and ties and offerings you're cursed with a curse
For you have robbed me even this whole nation
Notice the Bible just plainly states if you don't tie them to the Lord
You are cursed with a curse. That's what he said. Isn't that what happened to Aiken? He took of the Lord's money
He took of the consecrated things of the Lord's and he was cursed
because I took money that didn't belong unto him and what happened he became accursed and
Notice when you take things that don't belong to you. What does God call you? You are a robber
You're a thief
Point number one when you take God's money, you're cursed point number two. You're a thief
It's not yours to have it's not yours to take
Like what God says is the con the converse of this
Verse 10 bring you all the ties in the storehouse
There may be meat in mine house and prove me now here with say the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows
of heaven and pour you out a blessing that
There shall not be room enough to receive it and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits
Of your ground neither shall your vine cast or fruit before the time in the field say at the Lord of hosts and all
Nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delights some land say at the Lord of hosts and notice if
You don't tithe God can destroy the hundred percent that you have. Hey, I'd rather have my ninety percent blessed than my hundred percent cursed
and
I didn't make this doctrine up the Bible just plainly states it everywhere. Okay now go if you would back to Joshua
He's a thief and you say well, I don't know if it's God's look the Bible says the tithes of the Lord's
How many times does it need to say that? How about Jesus? Would you believe Jesus if he said something like that?
How about when Jesus said?
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are God
So if it's God's you know
You need to give it to God and if God says the tithe is his then
Jesus is clearly telling you to render unto God the things that are God's and so
Jesus confirmed this doctrine we have it all in the Old Testament. We have it in Proverbs
We have it in Hebrews chapter number seven yet
The reason why people do not believe this doctrine is because they're greedy or selfish and they lack faith in the Lord
But worse than that, they become cursed worse than that. They're a thief. They're a literal thief
Just like if I have any good of possession and I asked my servant if I asked Dylan to go get it and he's bring
It to me. He can't think in the process of transporting it to me. This is mine now
I could just take whatever I want out of it. No, it's all mine
It's still my good and look just because God gives you money don't look at it like oh, it's all mine
No the portion that God reserved for himself you say that's the Lord's I don't want to take of the Lord's now
I'm stealing unto God now. I'm not rendering unto God which is God's
Joshua chapter 7 look at verse 21
This is aching
Owning up to ascend when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian ish garment and 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold
of 50 shekels weight then I coveted them and
Took them and behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it
Like I said, what's the point?
What's the point of taking a garment and burying it in the dirt
You know when Elijah or not?
Sorry light and when Ezekiel buries his girdle in the dirt, it becomes marred it becomes Martin's worth
What's the point of having this stuff? You know, what's the point of just having a bunch of gold locked up in the earth?
For the rainy day, you know, you might just die and what's that gold gonna do for you?
What why would you want garments that you're never gonna wear?
Sorry, this isn't relate for women because if you look at their closet, you know, I'm just kidding I
Mean people have stuff that they don't even use. What's the point?
You know makes me think of this huge storage complex that's been built next to my house
I'm like, what's the point of a storage container?
You know people have things in storage for years and it's like what was the point of having all those goods?
You know by the amount of money you spend on that stupid storage container
you probably could have bought all brand new when you finally needed it and
And in fact lots of people they have stuff in storage for decades and then they miss their payment and
The contract says like after 30 days or 60 days. It becomes the landlords and then they just take all your goods
It's just taken from you. Look get a looser grip on the things of this world
They're not even worth it now number one your curse if you hide the accursed thing number two
You're a thief but what leads up to that confession? Let's understand what happened
You're a dissembler too. You're deceitful
You're deceitful when you take that look at verse 13
This is him a can kind of explaining himself and basically the whole scenario
It says up sanctify the people and say sanctify yourselves against tomorrow for thus sayeth the word God of Israel
There's an accursed thing in the midst of thee
Oh Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies until you take away the accursed thing
among you in the morning
therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the
Families thereof and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households and the household which the Lord shall take shall come
out man by man
And it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire
He and all that he hath because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he had brought folly in Israel
So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes and the tribe of Judah was taken
He brought the family of Judah and took the family of the Tsar heights and he brought the family of the Tsar heights
Man by man and Zabdai was taken
And he brought his household man by man and Achan the son of Carmi the son of Zabdai the son of Zerah of the tribe
Of Judah was taken and Joshua said and Achan my son give I pray thee glory
To the Lord God of Israel and make confession on him and tell me now what thou has done
Hide it not from me and Achan answered Joshua and said indeed
I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus have I done so notice even though
He's hit it even though he's done this, you know what God still saw that he did it and notice he dissembled
No one knew it was it took this miracle of God to just be like Judah
This family this section that guy he's like, oh man that I bet he was kind of nervous
He was like thinking all right. I got a one in 12 chance Judah crap
All right. Now the family of Zabdai. Oh, man, you know
It's like the next family and then it's like
Aiken oh, it's like how did he know? Look you can't hide from the Lord
You can dissemble and you can deceive every single person in this room, but you can't hide it from God
Hey, you could lie to every person on the planet and they could all believe you but God won't
God will still know that you're lying. God will still know that you're dissembling and you know what?
It's deceitful because he's hurting the whole group go to numbers 32 go to numbers 32
I want to read another story here. That's kind of related to this subject. I
Guarantee that Aiken doesn't wish that he took that stuff now and look at all burnt with him
They took all this stuff. They took it out with him
They took his whole family and they just destroyed it all
Oh, good job Aiken way to get a few extra bucks that you never got to spend that you never got to have
Well, that's the Old Testament pastor Shelley, oh, yeah, well, how about when Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament
Claim to give certain money unto God that's God's
But they lied and they held back part of the price and then because they lied in the Holy Ghost
God killed them. I bet it was real worth it to hold back part of that price, wasn't it?
I bet it was real worth it to claim that you're gonna give something to God and then not give it to him
You know what now God's gonna acquire a life for it. They were accursed for holding back part of the price
That's the same story
Do you just like the New Testament version better? Do you like the Old Testament?
You like the Old Testament because then you can think well that's Old Testament. Look the Old Testament's written for our admonition
How about that verse, you know and anybody brings up the Old Testament?
It's like I wanted to bring out that verse and be like BAM
Hey, it's for me
You know the Old Testament written
After they do these things and virtually every case
It's it's a it's retelling of what they already did. You know, it's not for them
The book of Joshua is not for Joshua
Did you realize that it's telling you know, Joshua didn't have the book of Joshua to go on
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made some of the mistakes. He did he wouldn't gotten tripped tricked up by you know
The inhabitants of Gibeah, he'd have been like you guys are lying to me
Because I read it in Joshua
You know
Hey, hey, you know
Akins gonna steal stuff. Let's just go ahead and take him out now, you know or let's lock him up
So he can't take the goods, you know, Joshua's written after his life
You know the whole test was written like after the things happened to benefit who the people in the future
Sodom and Gomorrah is the benefit us
It's the benefit those afterward to learn about the in sample that happens the people that lie and your an anise and Sephira
They needed the Old Testament story of a kin
Maybe someone should have preached really hard on a kin to them before they went in lied about holding back part of the price
And you know what? You don't only hurt yourself. Sometimes you hurt the whole congregation when you do this look at numbers 32 verse 11
Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt from 20 years old and upward shall see the land
Which I swear in Abraham and Isaac and Jacob because they have not wholly followed me
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the kenazite and Joshua the son of none for they have wholly
Followed the Lord and Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness 40 years
until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of Lord was consumed and
Behold you're risen up in your father's dead and increase of sinful men
To augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel for if you turn away from after him he will yet
Again leave them in the wilderness and ye shall destroy all his people and they came near on him and said we will build
Sheepfolds here for our cattle and cities for our little ones
But we ourselves will go ready arm before the children of Israel until we have brought them under their place and our little ones
Shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land
We will not return into our houses under the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance
We will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan or forward because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side
Jordan Eastward Moses said of them if
You will do this thing if you will go armed before the Lord to war and will go all of you armed over Jordan before
The Lord until he had driven out his enemies from before him and the land be subdued before the Lord then afterward
Ye shall return and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel and this land shall be a possession before the Lord
So we have a couple tribes
They don't want to contribute to the common good. They don't want to contribute to the rest of the children of Israel
They say you know what? We kind of like this land already. We're just gonna stay here
But then they were abused because they're discouraging the hearts of their brethren. They're discouraging the congregation
They're not willing to chip in and help out the rest of the party and Moses saying that's evil
You need to go with us and you need to fight
And here's the reality, you know when it comes to tithing
it's not fair for you to reap all the benefit of everybody that is tithing and
Discourage the hearts of your brethren by not giving under the Lord equitably
You know someone has to pay for all this stuff and it's not fair that there's gonna be freeloaders amongst the crowd
And you know what? If you're a freeloader, you should feel bad
You say this makes me feel bad. Well, they should that's the point
He's saying hey you guys should feel bad for saying you don't want to go and help out your brethren and
Inherit the land with them. You're discouraging the heart of the people and you know what?
It doesn't matter how much you're giving. It just matters that you're doing your part
It doesn't matter if you're the greatest soldier or the worst soldier or all you can do is just cheer people on or all you
Can do is just blow the trumpet or all you're gonna do is stay by the stuff
But you know what? You need to get into the battle
You need a battle with your brethren and you know, what part of that is
Financially part of that is also the tithe and when it comes to a church, you know what?
it's deceitful to come to a church and reap all the benefits of the church and
Make it appear like you're trying to serve God, but then you're holding back the tithe from the Lord. That's deceitful
You know, it's one thing to just be completely backslidden and not serving God
But it's another thing to show up at church and be plugged in a church and reaping all the benefits of church
And yet you're holding back the portion that is the Lord's and look
I'm not trying to excuse people that don't tithe because they don't go to church. They're doubly wicked
Okay
But I am saying it's deceitful to be in the Lord's house and to not be doing what God is
Commanding you to do with your money
You're dissembling and you know what I may not know that I'm I'm certain I don't know that
I don't know how anybody does because I don't care and
There's no way for me to prove it
Anyways, because you'd have to show me like all your pay stubs and that you know
The government doesn't even know how much money you are in usually
Oh, I didn't know all your real honest, I'm just kidding lots of people, you know
The government doesn't even know how much money people make it's like an ordeal
To find out and then to figure out the 10 look the only person that really knows is you and God
At the end of the day, but you know what notice how God could find Aiken out of the crowd
Notice how God can find and look what it says in verse 23
But if you will not do so behold you have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out
I'm not preaching this because I'm gonna do anything to you. I'm preaching this because
Because when you hide the accursed thing
You're cursed when you hide the accursed thing. You're a thief when you hide the accursed thing. You're deceitful. You're a dissembler
And you know what I wouldn't want to take part in all the spiritual blessings of the Lord and
Not be willing to give him of my carnal things
I mean, how little are the carnal things and look he even promised he says look when you give me your carnal things
I'll give you more. I'll bless you. I'll take care
It's not like God saying hey take a vow of poverty and serve me
He's saying look if you bless me, I'll bless you even more than if you hadn't
Go for you to Proverbs 20 go to the last for somebody to go to
Some people love all the benefits of church, but they don't want to pitch in
I would rather be the person that pitches in and don't receive any benefit
And reaping all these benefits and never pitching in and let me say this about steadfast Baptist Church
I know it's been 2020. But you know what God has blessed us financially more than last than the year before that
And
We're not even we're not even hurting. I mean we got a new building. Hey, we added staff
Hey, we're doing all kinds of great things and you know what praise the Lord for that
But you know what? I want to preach this sermon as a preventative measure
Just like Joshua saying hey when we go into Jericho
Don't take the accursed thing
Don't pull an aching because you could hurt the whole body and you know
What if certain people decide to start becoming an aching at any point it could hurt the ministry of the Lord
It could hurt not just them it could hurt the whole church
It could hurt everyone because even if it's just a small amount
I just don't want God's curse on me or my church or anybody around me
Now you say well, I just need that extra 10% it's just the X it's that sweet 10%
You know, it's that good, you know, look what it says in Proverbs 20 verse 17 bread of deceit is sweet to a man. Oh
Man, it's it's cool. I get to go to church and I get all the good stuff and I don't even have the time
Free stuff free stuff. It's sweet. I just love that Himes barbecue, you know bring that on again pastor Shelley
You know
When it comes to churches like ours, I've never seen churches so generous generous
I mean, I'm trying to fall in the shadow of Pastor Anderson. He is one of the most generous people
I've ever met in my entire life
His church has so much free stuff and so many free programs and free meals and for it's like free wedding
It's free everything. It's just like everything is just given just open hand open-fisted
Just giving and blessing to everybody you go find me churches like that
Like I've been in in churches all my life and it's you know, you have to pay for everything
You may get a water fountain for free
I mean we got a water fountain too, but you know
You have to pay for every other thing you have to pay for every meal every event every city. It's nothing's free
Nothing's given out and you know what they're they're filled with debt
I've been in the church that I grew up in. I end up becoming a banker for them later
So I found out they had like 35 million dollars in debt
Their monthly mortgage payment was a quarter million dollars and
Then I was like, I know why they preach on tithing every single week
Literally
Look why would I want to do that?
Look if we have to have a smaller building so we don't have financial pressure than then so be it
You know, I don't care if we have to grow or contract and you know
I don't want to get to the point where there's all this financial pressure that we have to like
You know preach on tithing and get the little meter over here and just be like, you know what now
let's give this much money and everybody get your nickels and your dimes and we'll put them in jars and
You know, we'll also take your guitar and your bike and your TV and your VCR. Does anybody have one anymore?
I don't know. Maybe it's like an antique worth a lot of money
I mean, I remember they'd get up and they'd say we'll take your stocks. We'll take your bonds
They said also we want you to have this in here
This class where you can come and they'll create a will and in the will class. I actually took this they were like saying
Now you should put you know, ten or twenty percent of your will to the church, you know
But you know what's deceitful about that is
You don't have to tithe on the money that you already have you tithe on your increase and let me tell you something when you
Die, it's not like you're flooded with extra income
You
So it's nonsensical to even call it a tithe it's not even a time
You know when I move money from my checking to my savings, I don't have to tithe on that
I didn't increase in goods. Okay, or if I move money from my savings to my checking. It's not like whoa a windfall cash
You know, look that's just me managing my own money
Okay, and the Lord he's not just up in heaven thinking like I really need y'all's money. He wants your faith
He wants your heart he says look give me your money and I'll give you more
Bless me and I'll bless you
He's not trying to say I want you to just have less buddy. I want you to suffer a little bit
I want you to squirm. No, he just wants you to step out of faith
You know and tithing it is a picture of faith. It's a picture of trusting in the Lord and
Whenever you take of the Lord's don't think that you're gonna be blessed for it if you're saved you're gonna be chastised
God will chastise his children and it might say that it's sweet for a moment
Look at the bread of the seat is sweet to a man. But afterwards his mouse will be filled with gravel
And you know what Aiken's mouth was literally filled gravel when they stoned him right in the face
Oh, it's so sweet when he got home and he had that little garment. He put it on he was like, oh
Babylonianist garment it probably looked like a faggoty queer effeminate thing
It's probably like a Michael Jackson jacket or something
And he was like doing thrills, you know
at night
Secretly in the closet. It's like oh, it's so sweet. Nope. Your mouth is gonna be filled with gravel
Don't hide the accursed thing because you'll become a curse. You're a thief and it's deceitful. Let's go some prayer
Thank you father so much for your word. Thank you for
Giving us an opportunity to step out in faith
thank you for giving us the power to get wealth and to have any goods or any possessions of our own and
I pray that we would not get a hottie or prideful attitude about the things that you bless us with
but rather we would give you your
portion that we would render unto God the things that are God's and
We understand that when we obey you and we follow your commandments that you will bless us
Do you open the windows of heaven and I pray that you bless every single person in this church?
I pray that you bless our church as people give
Faithfully as they tithe according to your commandments that you would just bless them that you would
Minister unto them and that we would just continue to work and serve you with our all of our might in Jesus name we pray
Amen