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All right, well, we're there in Leviticus, chapter number 27. And we are going through a series called Money Matters. And we've been learning about biblical principles for your finances, for my finances. God has a plan for your finances. And he wants us to be able to leverage these principles when it comes to how we handle our money. Today, we are talking about prioritizing your giving. And specifically, we're talking about tithing and the tithe. And we're going to learn today. Today is going to be very much a Bible study on the theology of tithing, what the Bible teaches about tithing. We're going to turn to a lot of passages. So I need you to kind of try to keep up with me. But you're there in Leviticus 27. I'd like you to look at verse number 30. The Bible says this. And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, notice what the Bible says, is the Lord's. All the tithe is the Lord's. It is holy unto the Lord. I want you to remember that, because we're going to come back to that thought later on in the sermon. And the fact that the tithe, the Bible says, belongs to God. And if God's financial blessing is connected to the tithe, which it is, we'll see that in this sermon, then I don't know about you. But I want to know how to properly tithe and what it means to tithe. If God says, hey, there's one area that in order for me to bless you financially, you have to be right in this area, and it's called tithing, then I want to know what that means. I want to know what that entails and how to do it properly. And that's what we're going to do this morning. We're going to look at this idea of the tithe and what it means. It's going to be very much teaching, but also applicable. And I'm going to give you several areas in regards to the tithe. And I'd like you to take notes if you're interested. Because like I said, I want to make sure I'm doing this right. If God is looking at this in order to make sure that we are doing this correctly, then I want to make sure I'm doing it right. So I'd encourage you to take some notes on the back of your course of the week sheet. There's, of course, an area for you to take notes. And if you're taking notes, you should write down this. Number one, let's talk about the portion of the tithe. What exactly is a tithe? What is the definition of a tithe? What is the biblical tithe in the Bible? Now, there in Leviticus 27, and we just read verse 30. In fact, let's read it again. And all the tithe of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy unto the Lord. Then in verse 31, the Bible says this. And if a man will at all redeem out of his tithe. Now, I'm not really preaching on this this morning, but it's here, so let's talk about it. The Bible is talking about the fact that if someone chooses to redeem their tithe, and the idea was in these days that they were to tithe from, this was an agricultural type culture. They would have a harvest, or they would have cattle. And they were to tithe off of what was produced and what was given. But if somebody decided, you know, I need to keep this 10% for a little while. I'm not ready to give it to the Lord. God would say, OK, if you're going to redeem out of this tithe, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. So I want you to notice that God even gives instructions. He says, if you choose to keep back the tithe for whatever reason, God says that's fine. But make sure when you pay it that you add 20% to that tithe. I just think that's kind of interesting there. Look at verse 32. And concerning the tithe of the herd, you say, why would you bring that up? You know, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to go into debt to God, you know? I'd rather just pay my tithe instead of adding 20% to it to keep it longer or whatever. Notice verse 32. And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. And the idea is this, that they were to give. And if you were paying attention as we were reading there Leviticus 27, he's talking about these different offerings. And he's talking about the fact that you would value them. And you would look at which one's good and which was bad and which one has more value than the other one. But then God would say, when it comes to the tithe, that doesn't apply. God says, I don't care if it's good or bad. I just want the first 10%. I want 10%. And the idea is that they would take a rod and they would take all of the cattle that maybe was born that year. And they would have it go past a rod. And as the 10% went past, whether it was good or bad, whether it was strong or weak, whatever it was, that belonged to the Lord. And that's what he's saying there in verse 32. He says, and concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. So when we're talking about the portion of the tithe, what is the tithe? I'd like to write this down. The tithe is the tenth part or 10%. That's what the word tithe means. It means 10%. So when we're talking about tithing back to God, the tithe is the tenth part. That's where we have to begin. That's where we have to start with the idea that it is 10%. And notice it is a percentage. He says it is the tenth. It is the tenth part. It is 10%. But I'd like you to notice, secondly, you're there in Leviticus. Go to Deuteronomy chapter 14. If you go past the book of Numbers into the book of Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 14, the tithe is 10%. But I want you to notice this morning that the tithe is 10% of your increase, not your income. Most people assume that when they are tithing, that they are to tithe off their income. The problem is that the Bible doesn't use that word income. It uses the word increase. And the word increase is different than your income. Deuteronomy 14, look at verse 22. Notice what the Bible says. Thou shall truly tithe all of the increase. I want you to notice it says all of the increase, not the income, of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year. Notice verse 28. At the end of three years. And again, the idea here was that these people got paid every three years. Maybe they would go out and plant a field, and it would take three years before it really began to yield a result. And here, he says at the end of three years. But the idea is that when you get paid, that's when you should tithe. When you get paid. Now in our economy, in our culture, it's rare for someone to get paid once every three years. It's probably more like once every two weeks, or once a month, or whatever. But he says in verse 28, at the end of three years, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine. Notice the word increase, the same year, and shall lay it up within thy gates. I'd like you to keep your finger there in Deuteronomy. We're going to come right back to it. Go to 2 Chronicles chapter 31. If you're in Deuteronomy, you're going to go, Joshua judges Ruth, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles. But while you turn there, let me explain that the tithe is 10%, and it is 10% of your increase, not your income. You say, what does that mean? Here's what that means. It means that you are not just growing financially based on your income. Your income is part of it. In fact, your income is probably the biggest part of it. But that is not the only time that you are increased financially. So God does not use the word income. He uses the word increase. Any time that you are financially increased, the Bible says that you should acknowledge that as a gift from God, and you should tithe off it as an acknowledgment that it came to God. We give 10% of our increase back to God as we acknowledge the fact that everything that we've received comes from God. You say, well, what do you mean increase versus income? Income gives you this idea that it's just your job. I go to work. I get a paycheck, and then I tithe off that paycheck. But if you were to inventory your life, you might find areas in your life where you increase financially, and you should tithe off of that increase. You say, what are some examples? Well, how about an inheritance? What if somebody dies, and they leave you some of money in inheritance? You have now been blessed financially. You have increased financially. And you say, well, that's not my income. You know that's not my job. But yet, you should acknowledge that that came from God, and you should tithe off it. My wife and I, we've had a practice in our lives where we try to, to the best of our ability, when somebody gives us a gift, we try to tithe off it. And you say, why? Because tithing is an exercise that allows you to acknowledge and allows you to count the blessings in your life. It is an exercise that God has given us to be able to sit down, because it's easy to sit there and say, oh, I'm not blessed. No, nobody helps me. God doesn't care about me. But when you have to sit down every month and realize, oh, wow, so-and-so gave us this gift here, or somebody blessed us in this way, or somebody did this, or somebody did that, then when you begin to look at all the areas that you've been blessed financially, not just your income, but your increase, God says that you can begin to love the Lord and begin to be thankful for what God has done. So when we're talking about tithing, the portion of the tithe, it is 10%, but not just of your income. It is 10% of your increase. Second Chronicles 31, I'd like you to notice, thirdly, when we're talking about this portion, what is a tithe? It's 10%. It's 10% of your increase. And it is the first 10%. Notice 2 Chronicles 31, look at verse 5. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance, I want you to notice these words, the first fruits. So notice, it was not just the fruits, but it was the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey. And does this sound familiar? All the increase? We already saw that the increase has to do with the tithe. Notice, and of all the increase of the field and the tithe. And I'm showing you this verse to show you that the word first fruits and the word tithe are used interchangeably in the Bible. Here, they brought the first fruits of all the increase. Then God says, the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. You say, why does the Bible use the word tithe and first fruits interchangeably? Here's why. Because the tithe is not only 10%. It is 10% of your increase, not just your income. And it is the first 10%. See, we are to give God first. We are to put God first. We are to make sure that if anybody gets paid, God is going to get paid first. Go to Nehemiah chapter 10. Let me show this to you in another passage. Nehemiah chapter 10, and look at verse 37. Nehemiah 10, 37. You're there in 2 Chronicles. You're just going to go to Ezra, Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 10 and verse 37. Nehemiah chapter 10 and verse 37, the Bible says this. And that we should bring, notice what he says, the first fruits. And that we should bring the first fruits of our dough and of our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of tree, of wine and oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God, and, notice what he says, the tithes. And again, I just want to show you that the Bible uses these terms interchangeably. The first fruits, the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. So I want you to notice that the tithe is not just 10%, but it is the first 10%. It is the first fruits. Now, this can be applied in several ways. Go to Matthew chapter 6. It's the first book in the New Testament. Should be fairly easy to find. Matthew chapter 6. Look at verse 33. The first way we can apply this is the fact that we ought to pay God first, right? God comes first in every, not just in our finances, but in every area of our life. The Bible says that in all things, he should have the preeminence, talking about Jesus. But the Bible specifically tells us that when it comes to our finances, we should put God first. Matthew 6, verse 33. Matthew chapter 6, verse 33. The Bible says this, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Notice the context. And all these things. What things? Well, if you go back and read the context of Matthew 6.33, you'll find that in verse 31, he's asking these questions. What shall we eat? What shall we drink? And wherewithal shall we be clothed? Those are all financial matters. Those are all financial worries. How are we going to take care of ourselves financially? Where are we going to get the money for the food? Where are we going to get the money for what we need to drink? Where are we going to get the money for our clothes? He says, if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he says, all these things shall be added unto you. Here's what God says. When you put God first financially, he will take care of you financially. Now, he's not saying he's going to make you rich. This is not a prosperity gospel. But he's saying, when it comes to your eat and to your drink and to your clothes, when it comes to what you eat, to what you drink, to your raiment, he said, I will take care of that. He said, that shall be added unto you when we first seek the kingdom of God. Let me give you another application for this. And this might be getting a little specific. And sometimes people get offended with these things. But you know, I warned you about the sermon. You already knew what you were getting into. Go back to Deuteronomy 14. Let me say this. Because of the fact that the tithe is the first fruit, this is the primary reason why I believe and I teach that when it comes to tithing, we should pay God first. Now, that can be applied several ways. I literally apply it in the way that that's the first check that's written out. We get paid. My wife and I, when we sit down and do our bills and do our finances or whatever, the first check that's written out is the tithe check. Why? Because God gets paid first. But let me say this. When we write that tithe check, we also tithe off of our gross income, not our net. You say, oh, pastor, now you're kind of splitting hairs there, aren't you? Well, here's the problem with tithing off your net. If you understand how this works, you're all adults here, you're all smart people, you understand this, you earn a certain amount of income. And then the government, without your permission or even without your knowledge for some of you, takes part of that income and the government pays themselves. Well, when you take what's left over and tithe off of that, guess what you just did? You paid the government first. Now, did you put God first? See, I'm not going to allow the government, well, with all their regulations and their stealing, you know, they're all there. Well, they took it out of my check without me noticing. Yeah, they do that for a reason. Because if you have to write out a check for that amount every month, there'd be a revolution. There'd be a revolt. But look, even though we lived in a government that just takes what's theirs first from your income, that doesn't mean that we should allow them to put themselves above God. Because isn't that what the government wants to do, put themselves above God? And we allow it when we say, well, I paid the government. I'll pay God off the rest. No, I pay God first. I put God first. See, the tithe is the first fruit. I think it's important to make sure that when we tithe, we don't just tithe off the net, that we tithe off the gross. Why? Because God comes first. Are you there in Deuteronomy 14? And you can say, oh, well, I think that's a little too specific. I don't think that's that big of a deal. Deuteronomy 14, verse 22. Let me just help you with this. Let me give this to you. You can do whatever you want with it. I'm not preaching this sermon because we need it. I'm not preaching this sermon because we're struggling financially. Our church is doing just fine. This sermon has been scheduled for this Sunday since last year. This sermon has been announced for the last several weeks. Some of you forgot and showed up anyway, and good for you. Deuteronomy 14, verse 22. Notice what the Bible says. Thou shall, I want you to notice these words, truly tithe. I've always thought that was interesting. God says, thou shalt truly tithe. Why does he say that? You know, I believe that God says that he wants you to truly tithe because there are a lot of people out there who are tithing, but it's not a true tithe. It's not a real tithe. It's not a legit tithe. You say, why? Because a legitimate tithe is 10%. A legitimate tithe is 10% of your increase, not just your income. And a legitimate tithe is paid before we pay the government. And God says, hey, thou shalt truly tithe. And here's all I'm saying. If you're going to go through the effort of tithing, I mean, if you're going to go through the effort of giving God 10% of your income, why not do it right? If my whole financial blessing is dependent on how I obey God and his tithe, wouldn't I want to just be careful to say, hey, someone just gave us a $100 gift card to a restaurant. That's very kind of them. Let's put $10 in the offering plate and acknowledge that that gift came from them, but ultimately, that gift came from God. I mean, is it that big of a deal to say, well, I took home this much, but I made this much. The government actually took their piece already. But you know what? I'm not going to let the government have the preeminence in my life. I'm going to pay God first. And I'm going to give God his tithe off of the gross. Here's all I'm saying. If I'm going to take the time to tithe, I'm going to take the time to truly tithe. I'm going to do it right. I'm going to try to get it right. I'm going to focus in on making sure if it's right. Because if not, then what's the point? So you say, well, how do you truly tithe? What's a tithe? Well, three characteristics of a tithe. 10% of your increase, not just your income. And it should be the first 10%. God should come first. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Now go back to Genesis chapter 14. First book in the, do me a favor, keep your figure there in Matthew. We're going to come back to it. But go to Genesis. You can lose your place there in Deuteronomy if you'd like. But go keep your place in Matthew. And go to Genesis. First book in the Bible should be fairly easy to find. We talked about the portion of the tithe. Let's talk about the practice of the tithe. Now there are those today, and there's a lot of them, who teach that we as New Testament believers do not have an obligation to tithe, that we are not commanded to tithe, that we are not required to tithe. And their argument for this is that they will say, and this is not true, this is their argument, that the tithe was connected and commanded with the Mosaic law, that the tithe was connected and commanded to the Mosaic law. And since the Mosaic law has been repealed, then tithing has been repealed. And we no longer need to tithe today. Now there are a couple of problems with that. And let me just say this. I agree that there are sections of the Mosaic law that have been repealed. We've spent the last several weeks in the book of Ezekiel studying that out. Now the entire Old Testament has not been repealed. All of the commandments of God have not been repealed. God still doesn't want you to kill. God still doesn't want you to commit adultery. God still doesn't want you to commit incest. All those things in the Mosaic law still apply. God still doesn't want you to kidnap. All those things still apply today. There are things that have been changed from the Mosaic law. And I'm not going to re-preach our Ezekiel series, but those are the things that have to do with the priesthood, that have to do with the ordinances, that have to do with the ceremonial aspect of the law. But people will say, well, when the law was changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, then tithing went away. OK, couple of problems with that. Number one, tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law. So how could you say, well, tithing is connected to the Mosaic law, and when the Mosaic law was repealed, then tithing was repealed. Problem with that, in the Bible, people were tithing before Moses, Genesis 14. Look at verse 18. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him and said, blessed be Abram, the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand. And he, Abram, or Abraham, gave him, Melchizedek, tithes of all. Now, you don't have to be a theological expert to understand that Abraham was on the scene hundreds of years before Moses. Abraham was on the scene hundreds of years before the Mosaic law. Yet Abraham, the Bible says, practiced tithing. And he gave a tent to Melchizedek. And we don't have time to get into the doctrine of Melchizedek. But Melchizedek is a Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here we see that he tithed to Melchizedek. So to say, well, tithing's been repealed with the Mosaic law. Here's the problem. Tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law. Go to Genesis 28. Look at verse 20. Genesis 28 and verse 20. Notice what the Bible says. You're there in Genesis 14. Go to Genesis 28. Notice verse 20. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go, I will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on. Doesn't that sound like Matthew 6? So that I come again to my father's house in peace. Then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be, notice what it says, God's house, shall be God's house. And out of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee. What is that? That's a tithe. So I want you to notice that Abraham tithed, Jacob tithed. These were all people practicing tithing before the Mosaic law. So to say, oh, no, tithing doesn't need to be practiced today by New Testament believers because it was connected and commanded by the Mosaic law. And the Mosaic law has been repealed. Well, the problem with that, and look, it's true that the Mosaic law speaks a lot about tithing, tells us to tithing, gives us all sorts of details in regards to tithing. But to say that it was commanded by Moses is a lie because Abraham tithed, because Jacob tithed, because tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law. Not only that, go back to Matthew 23. Not only is it a problem because of the fact that tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law, there's another problem. There's another problem with the argument that says that we as New Testament believers need not tithe. The argument is because it's been repealed with the law. Here's the problem with that. Tithing is not repealed in the New Testament. And here's what I mean by that. The New Testament mentions tithing and does not repeal it. Now, when you study the ministry of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount, you'll find that Jesus had absolutely no problem with correcting things that either were taken out of context or misapplied from the Old Testament, or that he had no problem with letting you know when things are no longer applied today. And if you study Matthew 5, 6, and 7, you study that Sermon on the Mount, you'll find Jesus doing something that he did throughout his ministry, where he's going through and he's correcting problems. And he's saying, look, and throughout his ministry he did it. He said, you're not applying the Sabbath correctly. Or he would tell people and explain to people. And in the Sermon on the Mount, he says, you've heard that it has been said. And he says, this is what you used to do, but here's what you're going to do now. Here's what you used to believe, but here's what you're going to believe now. You've heard that it had been said to not commit adultery. That's true. But let me take it a step further. If a man look on a woman to lust after, he'd commit adultery with her already in his heart. Do you understand what I'm saying? He had no problem letting people know when they were misapplying or when they were taking something out of context or when they were doing something that was not done properly in the Old Testament. Matthew 23, verse 23, notice what Jesus says about tithing. Matthew 23, woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Now he's talking to the scribes and Pharisees and he's rebuking them. He says, woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. And people who don't believe in tithing, they love this verse up to this point. For ye pay tithe. And they'll say, see, Jesus is rebuking them for tithing. Really, because you need to read the whole verse. He says, for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cometh. Now the idea here is this. He's saying, you are being so particular about your tithe, you're even tithing off of mint. You're even tithing off of spices. You're making sure that you give, that you truly tithe. He says, for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cometh, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. So notice what he's saying. He's saying, you're paying tithe, and you've omitted the weightier matters of the law. Then he says this, these are ye to have done. Don't miss it. Why is Jesus rebuking them? He's not rebuking them for tithing. He says, great, these are ye to have done. He said, I'm glad that you paid tithe of mint and anise and cometh. He says, and not to leave the other undone. See, the rebuke was not on the fact that they were tithing. The rebuke was on the fact that, yes, they were tithing, but then they were ignoring the weightier matters of the law. And what does Jesus say about it? He says, great, keep tithing, but make sure that you're also acknowledging the weightier matters of law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Do you understand that? Now here's what I'm trying to explain to you. Here was the perfect opportunity for Jesus to say, now ye have heard that it had been said that you don't need to tithe anymore, but let me tell you something, in the New Testament, keep it all. This was a great opportunity for Jesus to repeal the tithe. Yet he mentions the tithe. Not only does he mention it, he affirms it. These are ye to have done, and never repeals it. So to sit there and say, we don't need to tithe today, because it's been repealed with the Old Testament law, is a lie. Why? Because number one, it was not practiced with the Mosaic law. And number two, it was not repealed with the Mosaic law. Jesus did not repeal it. In fact, he affirmed it. So you're splitting hairs with this whole gross versus net thing. Jesus, he says, hey, go ahead and tithe off of mint and anise and cummin'. Go ahead. The idea is that someone would give, a neighbor would give, another neighbor some of these seasonings. And the Pharisees would figure out how much 10% of that was worth, and they tithe off it. And God says, these are ye to have done. He said, I'm glad you did it. Just don't leave the other undone. Go to Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. If you started the book of Revelation and head backwards, the book of Revelation and head backwards, you have Jude, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, 2nd, 1st Peter, James, and Hebrews. Revelation, Jude, 3rd, 2nd, 1st John, 2nd, 1st Peter, James, and Hebrews. The practice of tithing, tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law. And tithing was not repealed by the Mosaic law. Let me give you another example. Jesus had no problem repealing things, changing things, telling people when they were doing something wrong. And yet he mentions the tithe, he affirms the tithe, and then he never repeals it. In Hebrews, if you've read the book of Hebrews, and if you've been with us on Wednesday nights as we've been studying the book of Ezekiel, you'll know that one of the main purposes of the book of Hebrews is called the book of Hebrews because it's written to the Hebrews, to the nation of Israel, to the descendants of Abraham. And the book of Hebrews is to try to help those who are physical descendants of Abraham to understand how they are to bring in the Old Testament into the New Testament. One of the main purposes of the book of Hebrews is to help you understand how the Old Testament and the New Testament connect, and how the Old Testament and the New Testament correlate. That's one of the main purposes of the book of Hebrews, which is why in Hebrews he's often explaining to us that the sacrifices were figures. They were shadows. They were symbols of things to come. In the book of Hebrews, he also repeals certain things. He says that of necessity, there was a change of the law, the priesthood being changed, that the law had to be changed. And he said the Sabbaths are gone. The sacrifices are gone. The Levitical priesthood is gone. In the book of Hebrews, in the book of Hebrews is the main text that tells us what no longer applies from the Old Testament and what does apply still in the New Testament from the Old Testament. If there is any book in the entire New Testament that would make it clear to us that we as New Testament believers no longer need to tithe, it would be the book of Hebrews. And the book of Hebrews mentions tithing and doesn't repeal it. Hebrews 7, look at verse 6. But he whose descent is not counted from them. And it's interesting because not only does Hebrews not repeal it as law from the Old Testament, it mentions it. And it mentions it to a reference that we already saw before the Mosaic law. But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham. We read that already. And blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. So here it's clear Melchizedek was better than Abraham. The less was blessed of the better. Verse 8, and here men that die receive tithes. But there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. Verse 9, and as I may so say, Levi also who receiveth tithes. Because remember, the Levitical priesthood were the ones that received the tithes in the Old Testament. He says, Levi also who receiveth tithes paid tithes in Abraham. You say, why? Because while Abraham tied to Melchizedek, Levi was still on the loins of Abraham. And here God says that Levi paid tithes to Abraham. And again, I just want you to notice that the book of Hebrews mentions tithing and never reviews it. So when people tell you, oh, we are not to practice tithing as New Testament believers, there is no foundation for that. There is no biblical reason to believe that. Because if they say, well, it was part of the Mosaic law, the Mosaic law has been repealed. Number one, the Mosaic law, only a section of it has been repealed. The section has to do with the ceremonial sacrifices, the washings, the Sabbaths, the Levitical priesthood. But number two, tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law. Tithing was mentioned in the New Testament, never repealed. So look, as New Testament believers, we are to continue to practice tithing. Now, let me just say this before I get off on this. I want you to notice that in verse 9 that he says, who received tithes? I want you to notice these words, paid tithes, paid tithes. I want you to notice that the Bible doesn't say in Hebrew 7 9 that he gave tithes. It says that he paid tithes. I didn't mention it to you. But in Matthew 23, when we were looking at the passage where Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, he says, woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes. It doesn't say you give your tithe. It says you pay your tithe. I want you to remember that. We're going to come back to it. Go to Numbers chapter 18. Numbers chapter 18, New Testament, you have Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers chapter 18. In the New Testament, Jesus repealed and changed many things from the Old Testament. Yet he mentions the tithe and does not repeal it. In the book of Hebrews, the writer repeals and changes many things from the Mosaic law. Yet he mentions the tithe and does not repeal it. So we talked about number one, the portion of the tithe. What is it? It's 10% of your increase, not your income. And it's the first 10%. We talked about the practice of tithing. Should we practice tithing as New Testament believers? And the answer is yes, because it has not been repealed with the Mosaic law, because it was practiced before the Mosaic law. And it was never repealed in the New Testament like everything else that was repealed in the New Testament from the Mosaic law. Number three, let's talk about the purpose of the tithe. What is the purpose? What is the point? Now, there is a very practical purpose for tithing, and there is a very spiritual purpose for tithing. I'll give you both. The first practical purpose of tithing, and I know you know this, but maybe you haven't thought this through. The purpose of tithing is to get you to help finance the work of God. That's the point of tithing. It was the point of tithing. The point of tithing is to get you involved in helping to finance the work of God. See, the purpose of tithing, and sometimes people think it's odd, and when I first became a pastor, I was sometimes hesitant to preach on tithing. And I don't preach on tithing a lot. If you come to our church, you know that's true. It's very little that we mention money around here. I schedule two giving sermons every year, and then I deal with it as it comes up, as we study books of the Bible or whatever. But when I first became a pastor, it was hard for me to tell people about tithing or talk about tithing. But I've had to just realize that if I don't teach it to you, nobody else is going to. If I don't teach it to you, nobody else is going to give it to you. And look, let me just help you out. Part of tithing, the practical application of tithing, is to help you, is to get you to help with financing the work of God. One way is to pay the ministers, is to pay those who work in the ministry. Are you there in Numbers 18? Look at verse 24. In the Old Testament, the tithe is how you paid the priest. Numbers 18, verse 24, notice what the Bible says. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as in heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites. So notice he says, the tithes I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore, I have said unto them, among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, when ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up in heave offering for it for the Lord. Notice, the children of Israel, the congregation was supposed to tithe. And then the Levites, whose full time job was to work in the things of God, they were to take that tithe and live off it. But then notice at the end of verse 26 there, even a tenth part of the tithe. So notice that God still expected the priest to tithe off the tithe. Because it would have been easier for the priest to say, well, this is already the tithe, so I don't have to tithe off it. No, no, no. Now this tithe became your income. It became your increase, so you need to tithe off that. So look, when pastors get paid, they should tithe. And though they get paid from the offerings that come into the church, they should tithe off of that increase, off of their income. Look at verse 31, Numbers 18, 31. And ye shall eat in every place, ye and your household, for it is, notice he's talking to the priest. He says, for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. He says, look, you work so you should get paid for your work. He says, you work so you should get paid for the work, the service that you've done. Here's what I want you to understand. In the Old Testament, the tithe was the means or the mode by which the priest got paid. You say, well, what does that mean to us today? Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. In the New Testament, you've got Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. In the Old Testament, the tithe is how the priest got paid. In the New Testament, the tithe is how the preacher gets paid. Let me prove it to you. 1 Corinthians 9, 9. For it is written in the law of Moses. Now, those who don't believe in tithing will say, well, this law has been repealed. Well, Paul must have not got that memo, because he's about to quote the law of Moses to us. For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Now, here's just a principle for life. God says, let me give you a principle. He says, this is just a principle that can be applied in many areas. It's not just about the animal, because he says, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. The idea is that if you have an ox who's treading a field, who's working a field as he's working that field, he says, don't muzzle the ox as he's working away. If there's fruit, if there's things there for him to eat, and he takes a bite and eats from it, he says, let it eat, because the ox is working. Here's the idea. When someone works, they should get paid so that they can eat. He says, thou shalt not, notice what he says there, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Then he says this, does God take care for oxen? He says, I'm not saying this about the oxen. He says, this is just a principle that's good for life. Now, you don't have to turn there, but if you want to jot this down, 1 Timothy 5, 17 and 18, I'll read it for you. It connects these thoughts in regards to paying a pastor or praying a preacher. You don't have to turn there unless you'd like to. 1 Timothy 5, 17 and 18, maybe you can write it down. Let me read it for you. The Bible says, let the elders, which is the biblical word for a pastor, a bishop, those words are used interchangeably, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. And look, sometimes people think like, oh, being a pastor must be easy. OK, you try to get up and speak to 150 to 200 people, the same generally, 150 to 200 people, every week, three times a week for the rest of your life, and let's see how easy it is. Because it's hard to write sermons and to be able to teach people in a way that's going to keep them not only learning, but also awake. That's going to keep them learning, but in some ways entertained. That's going to keep them, that's why he says, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. You say, why? Verse 18, for the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward. So this idea is correlated to paying a preacher or paying a pastor or praying those who are in spiritual leadership. Go back, look at 1 Corinthians 9. He says, at the end, doth God take care for oxen? He says, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Verse 10, or saith he it all together for our sakes? He says, for our sakes, no doubt. Notice he answers his question. He says, God's not talking about oxen here. He's talking about us. This is written, that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. And let me just tell you, 1 Corinthians 9, 10 was a very encouraging verse for me when we were starting out in ministry, when my wife and I started out in ministry. Because when we started out in ministry nine years ago, it was my wife and I and a handful of people in our living room. And there was not much money there. And there was not much income there. There was not much of anything there. For a long time, for years and years and years, I worked a full-time job where I worked 40 and 50 and 60 hours every week, just because that's what I needed to work, to be able to pay the bills for a growing family. While on top of that, pastoring a church. While on top of that, reading the Bible, studying the Bible, writing three sermons a week. Sometimes people tell me, oh, I'm going back and listening to your old sermons. And I'm like, please don't do that. Please don't do that. Honestly, please don't do that. I was getting up at 4 in the morning just to write sermons. I was writing sermons, driving down the road, working and things. And during that time, that was a very hard time. It was a very difficult time. It was a very stressful time, when I was working full-time. And we had a growing family, still have a growing family. And there was many Sundays when I literally, when I was working HVAC, there was many Sundays where I would get up at 5 in the morning, be at the job site at 6 in the morning. I had an arrangement with my boss. I'd leave at about 9.15. I'd come home. My wife would have my suit ready for me. I'd get in the bathroom, change out into a tie, step out into our living room, hold a service, leave right after service, be back at work, maybe 11.50, depending on how long I preach, whatever, 12, noon, something like that, work up to 5 PM, come back home for the evening service. Did that many weeks. Did that for a long time. Wednesday night, same thing. And 1 Corinthians 9.10 was very encouraging to me when it said, or sayeth he had altogether for our sakes, for our sakes, no doubt, this was written, that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresher than hope should be partaker of his hope. And you know what? I had a hope back then that God was going to bless this church, that this church was going to grow, and that one day I wasn't going to have to do that anymore. One day I was going to be able to get up and, yeah, work 40, 50 hours a week, but do it for God. Do it for God full-time. And this is what Paul is talking about. Paul was making tents on the side. Paul was paying his way on the side. Paul was investing himself financially, and with his strength, and with his energy to be able to get these things going. And he's saying, look, you need to pay your pastor. And look, the church pays me, and we have staff, and all these things. I'm not preaching. I'm just telling you, you need to understand this. If I die and a new pastor comes in, pay him. If he's working, if he's laboring, if he's preaching, if he's helping you, pay him. Notice verse 11. He says, if we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? Here's what he's saying. If the preacher is investing in you spiritually, helping you spiritually, if he spends five weeks teaching you some spiritual lessons from the word of God that's going to get your finances in order so that you're not in a financial mess, so that God is blessing you financially, is it really a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If you pay him so that he can feed his family, so he can live in a modest home, so that he can drive modest vehicles? If others be partaker of this power over you, are not we the rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Verse 13. And that's talking about the fact that he did not demand a paycheck when the church was not able to afford a paycheck. And that's what we did. We started a church in our living room, and we didn't demand a paycheck. We still don't demand a paycheck, but we didn't have the church pay us till the church was able to. Verse 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things? Notice verse 13. He asked this question. He says, don't you know? He says, do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? Now, we just read that in the Old Testament. You see, Paul's saying, don't you know that those Old Testament ministers, those priests in the Old Testament who ministered about holy things, that they lived off the things of the temple, and that they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Here's what he's saying. Don't you know that the Old Testament priests got paid from the tithes of the people that came in and that gave to the tithe? Verse 14. Even so, here's what he's saying. In the same way hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. So how does the Old Testament priests get paid? Through the tithes of the people. How should the New Testament preacher get paid? Through the tithes of the people. Even so, hath the Lord ordained. And by the way, this is yet another argument to prove to you that tithing was not repealed in the New Testament. How could tithing be repealed in the New Testament when Paul is telling you, this is how you pay your New Testament preacher? How do you pay your New Testament preacher? Same way you paid the Old Testament priest. How was that? Through the tithe. Through the tithe. Go to Malachi chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3, last book in the Old Testament. Should be fairly easy to find. Malachi chapter 3. What is the purpose of the tithe? The purpose of the tithe is to get you to help finance the work of God. And specifically, that covers two areas. To pay the minister and to pay for the ministry. I don't know if you know this, but it costs money to run a church. I don't know if you know this, but those donuts you eat within the first five minutes of them putting out cost money. I really enjoyed the homeschool field trip. I'm glad you did. You know it cost money? Oh, the Red Hot Preacher Conference is such a blessing. Great. You know, we didn't pray and God teleported those preachers here. I'm telling you, ministry costs money. You say, what's the purpose of the tithe? What's the purpose of tithing? It's to pay for ministers, but it's to pay for ministry. Malachi chapter 3, look at verse 10. The Bible says this, bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse. Into the house of God. Why? That there may be meat in mine house. The word meat means food. It means the things that are needed. God says, look, you are to pay for the ministers, but it's also to pay for the ministry. See, the ministry costs money. It costs money to start a church in Fresno. It costs money to start a church in Manila. It costs money to start a church in Boise. It costs money to start a church in Vancouver. It costs money to do all the things that we do around here, all the activities that we do around here, all the fun things and all the fellowships and all those things. All those things cost money. You say, how does that get paid for? It gets paid for through your tithes. So God says, look, one of the purposes of tithing is to help you get involved in the financing of the work of God. Go to Matthew chapter 6. Sometimes people get offended by me even saying that. And it's like, oh, we shouldn't talk about spiritual things. Look, we don't get to pay smud in spiritual ways. Do you understand that? This church has costs, like any church, like any organization, like anything, and it costs money. And you say, well, how do you pay for that? How does that get paid? It gets paid through the generosity of God's people. It gets paid through the giving of God's people. It gets paid through the tithing of God's people. And look, here's the thing. You say, pastor, why would you preach a sermon on tithing? Once a year you preach a sermon on tithing. Why do you do that? Here's why. Because I believe that God has already provided everything that this church needs financially in order for this church to do what God has called us to do and to do what God wants us to do and to succeed. I believe that God has already provided it. It's sitting in your account. And God wants you to give it. All of it? No, 10%. You say, I don't think you should say that. Well, look, this is what the Bible says. This is what the Bible teaches. God teaches that you are to give back to Him through His house, through the house of God, 10% of your income, of your increase, excuse me, not your income. And you should give it to God first. You say, why? To pay for the ministers, yes, but to pay for the ministry. And here's the point. You say, what's the point? What's the purpose? Well, remember, there was a very practical purpose, to get you to help finance the work of God. Cake and ice cream Sunday nights cost money. All these things cost money. Everything we do around here costs money. But there's another spiritual application, and it is this. Not only to help you, or to get you to help finance the work of God, but it is to get your heart financially invested in the work of God. Matthew 6, look at verse 21. Notice what the Bible simply says. It says, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. See, when I talk about, well, we've got to pay this, we've got to pay this, we've got to pay. Some people are like, yeah, it makes sense. Absolutely. Some people are like, I can't believe you're saying that. What's the difference? Here's the difference. Where's your heart? See, when you are financially invested into the house of God, your heart will be there. So how can you say that? Because that's what God says. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. See, God designed this system where God's people, where God blesses you, then you acknowledge the fact that 100% of your blessing came from God by figuring out what 10% of that, because when you figure out what 10% of that is, what you're telling God is, I'm acknowledging. When I put this $300 or $400 or $500 or $1,000 in the offering, I'm not just giving $500. I'm acknowledging that the $5,000 that I increased this month was as a result of God's blessing on my life. So you count this 10%, and you give it back. You say, why did God create this entire system of financing his work in this world? One of the reasons was to actually get the bills paid. Another reason was to get your heart financially invested in the things of God, because where your treasure is, because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Go back to Malachi chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3, we're almost done. You say, why are you going to so many passages? I only preach on this once a year, so I just got to get it all in, you know what I mean? I got to just put it all into one sermon and then be done with it. Malachi chapter 3, we talked about the portion of the tithe. What is it? It's 10% of your increase, not your income, and it's the first 10%. We pay God first. We talked about the practice of the tithe. Is it something that we as New Testament believers should practice? And the answer is yes, because it is not connected to the Mosaic law. Tithing was practiced before the Mosaic law, and it was not repealed in the New Testament with the parts of the Mosaic law that were repealed. We talked about the purpose of the tithe. What's the purpose of the tithe? A very practical purpose is to get you involved in helping pay the finance and finance the work of God in this world. And a very spiritual application is to get your heart invested into the work of God in this world. Let's talk, fourthly, and we'll be done here soon, about the promise of the tithe, the promise of the tithe. There is a promise connected to the tithe. There's a good promise and a bad promise. We'll start with the bad news. God's curse, there is a curse regarding the tithe. Malachi chapter 3, verse 8. The Bible says, will a man rob God, question mark? And the idea is this. Will someone actually have the audacity to steal from God? Will a man rob God? Then he answers, he says, yet ye have robbed me. And the people might answer and say, well, God, how have we robbed you? Tell us how we've robbed you. But ye say, where in have we robbed thee? And then he gives the answer. He says, in tithes and offerings. In tithes and offerings. And by the way, God expects both, which is why I've read the Baptist Church, and this is how we do it here. But every fall, I preach a sermon on tithing. Every spring, I preach a sermon on giving and generosity and offerings. Why? Because God says, you've stolen from me in tithes and offerings. He says, will a man rob God, yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, where have ye robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. And I want you to notice that when you don't tithe, God considers it robbery. When you don't tithe, God considers it robbery. You say, well, why is that? Here's why. Because the tithe is not something you give. The tithe is something you pay. Do you remember Hebrews 7, 9? You'll have to turn there, but do you remember I pointed out to you? For as many, for as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. You remember Matthew 23, 23? Won't you use scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithe? You remember Leviticus 27, 30 is where we started this morning. And all the tithes of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. Please understand this. God says, ye have robbed me. You say, where in have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. Please understand this. I'm not trying to burst your bubble. I am grateful for the generosity of this church. And this church is super generous. And we've been able to accomplish a small little band of Christians that may have accomplished much for the cause of Christ. And much of it has to do with your generosity. So I'm proud of you. I'm not telling this to try to hurt your feelings. But when you tithe, you have not given anything to God. God sends you a bill every month called the tithe, and he expects you to pay for it. When you pay your rent and when you pay your mortgage, you don't give that check to the landlord and say, you're welcome. Well, I expect a thank you card because I just gifted you something. You didn't gift him anything. You paid your bill. And God says, look, you pay the tithe. He says, you pay the tithe. You say, why do you pay the tithe? Because you owe it to God. And when you don't pay it, you're robbing from God. And you say, well, no, I give to God. No, you know what? It turns into a gift when you give above your tithe. You give your 10%, and then on top of that, you give more. That's the gift. That's the offering. That's the free will offering. And again, that's the sermon for the spring. The free will offering, you know, God says, and you say, well, what's so free will about it if he expects it? He expects you to give above your tithe, but he doesn't tell you how much. He doesn't give you a percentage. He says, just give whatever you want to give. But the tithe is owed to God. And when you don't pay it, you're robbing from God. You say, OK, well, I mean, what's the big deal if I rob from God? Here's the big deal. Verse 9, your curse with a curse. For ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. And here's all I'm telling you. Here's all I'm telling you. If it were me, if it were me, I would take the time to sit down every month and figure out where has God blessed me, and how has God blessed me, and what must I tithe of, and where have I been increased. Oh, yes, so-and-so took us out for dinner. That was, you know, maybe a $30 dinner. So I'm going to add that to my tithe. You say, really, you sit down and figure all that out? Yes, because I don't want God's curse on my life. And, you know, I just practiced that, my wife and I have. And I'm not telling you you need to do this. But instead of writing out our tithe check to the cent, x amount of dollars, 0.72 cents, you know, we just throw in an extra whatever on top of that thing just in case I forgot something. And if I didn't, then let it be an offering or whatever. You say, why? Because God actually says, look, if you're a Christian, and you're a believer in God, and you're a believer in the Bible, then you have to believe the fact that God says, if you rob me, I'm going to curse you. He says, you're cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. That sounds like bad news. Here's the good news. Not only is there a curse associated to the tithe, but there is a blessing associated to the tithe. Notice verse 10 again. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house. And prove me now here with, saith the Lord of hosts, if I, notice what God says, 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 sates, and ye shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And look, this is not a prosperity gospel. Obviously, we talked about it last week. God may want to put you through a financial difficulty because he's trying to help you, because he's trying to grow you, because he's trying to try you. We saw that in the life of Job. But let me tell you something. God says, God says, that there is a blessing associated to the tithe. And he doesn't say that he's going to make you rich, but he says this, that he will rebuke the devourer for your sakes. And I wonder how much protection there is in our lives. I wonder how much protection there is in my life, with my wife, with our children, because we practice tithing, where God has stepped in and said, I'm not going to make you rich, but I'll make sure you're taken care of. I'm not going to make you rich. And I can say, look, there's one thing I'm thankful for. And I'm thankful for a lot of things. But one thing I'm thankful for is that when I was just a little kid, my parents taught us that we tithe, just as children. It was our birthday, and somebody would give us money, we'd go work with my dad, he'd pay us $20, and $2 went in the offering plate, because we give God his 10%, because we acknowledge God, because we put God first. And I can tell you this, if we're not rich, and I'm not telling you that we don't have any struggle financially, but I can tell you this, God has always seen us through, and God has always taken care of us. And I have learned this in my life, that I would rather live off of the 90% with the blessing of God than the 100% with the curse of God. Because God's going to get it out of you either way. You think the government can take it from you before you notice? I can't afford to tithe. People are like, I can't afford to tithe. I always say the same thing, I can't afford not to tithe. Have you seen my van? That thing's like the children of Israel in the wilderness. I need that thing to keep running. It's like their shoes where they just didn't last before. I need that thing to keep running. I need my cars to keep running. I need my roof to keep only leaking in the garage. You know what I mean? God, I need God to help me. I can't afford to tithe. I can't afford not to tithe, man. I need God's blessing. I need God's help. Go to Proverbs chapter 3. Proverbs chapter 3, if you open up your Bible, just right in the center, you'll want to like it from the book of Psalms right after Psalms, you've got the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 3, he says, I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground. Neither shall your vine cast a fruit before the time in the field. Sayeth the Lord of hosts. Proverbs chapter 3, verse 9, notice what the Bible says. Honor the Lord with thy substance. That's the purpose of tithing. That's the purpose of giving, to take our substance and to honor the Lord with it, to take our substance and to acknowledge God with it, to take our substance and to give respect and glory to God, to take our substance and to say, God, we acknowledge that this did not come from us, that this came from God. We are acknowledging you. Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits. Is that your tithe? Of all thine increase. Isn't that your tithe? Notice what he says in verse 10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Here's all I'm telling you, that there is a curse for Christians. There is a curse for those who don't tithe. And there is a blessing for those who do tithe. And I'm not here to tell you God's going to make you rich. And I'm not here to tell you that God's going to make you healthy and wealthy. But I'm telling you this. You need God. You say, I can't afford to tithe. You can't afford not to. And the truth is this. The truth is this, that everybody can afford to tithe. You know why? Because it's a percentage. You say, pastor, you don't understand. I don't make very much money. I only make $100 a week. Well, here's the beautiful thing about making only $100 a week. You only have to tithe $10 a week. Why? Intensively, you're like, pastor, I can't afford to tithe. I make too much money. I mean, do you know what that check would be? Everybody has a reason why they want to tell you why they can't tithe. But here's the point. God expects you to acknowledge Him, honor the Lord thy substance. And if you want the blessing of God, if you want the blessing of God, He says tithe. Let me end with this. Go back to Malachi chapter 3. We saw the portion, 10%, increase not income, firstfruits. We saw the practice. It's something we should do as New Testament believers. We saw the purpose to help you finance the work of God and to get your heart invested in the things of God. And we saw the promise. There's a curse. There's a blessing associated with the tithe. Here's what I think is super interesting about tithing. One of the reasons that I actually like the tithing sermons, I know most people don't, but one reason that I actually like the tithing sermons is because there's something super interesting to me about tithing. And as far as I can tell, it's the only time that God does this in the Bible. Now, I may be wrong about that. If I am, please let me know, because I'd love to know if there's somewhere else in the Bible that God does this. But as far as I can tell and what I've read and remember, there's only one time that God ever does this in the whole Bible. And it's in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10 where God lays down a challenge. Notice what it says, Malachi 3.10. He says, bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be me in mine house. And then he says these words, and prove me now herewith. Prove me now with what, God? With what I've said about the curse and the blessings. He says, prove me now herewith, saith 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. See, God knows that we are so weird about finances. We're willing to put our trust and faith in Him to save us eternally from hell. But then God says, give me 10%. You're like, I don't know about that. And God says, OK, I'll put out a challenge. He says, I dare you. I double dog dare you. He said, prove me. He said, give the tithe and test me, and see if I will not do what I said I'd do. And God gives us a challenge. As far as I can tell, the only time is scripture. God gives us a challenge. He says, tithe. So I want to give you a challenge. I want to give you God's challenge. I want to challenge you. I try to do this every year around the fall, and give you the tithe challenge. The tithe challenge is this, that if you're here this morning and you're not actively tithing, you say, I've been giving here and there, but I'm definitely not doing what you've been talking about. I want to challenge you, why don't you test God? Why don't you test God for the next three months? October, November, December. And say, OK, God, I'll try you out. I'll figure out what 10% of my increase is, what 10% is, and I will give it first to God. And I'll do that for the next three months, and I'll just kind of see what happens. And I'm not saying you're going to get rich. I'm not saying you're going to get rich. But I will say this, I bet you, I bet you. In fact, it shouldn't say I bet you. That's a bad terminology, especially when we're talking about money. But I challenge you to see whether God does not step in and bless you in a way that you, and I'm not saying it's financially, but something might happen and you might say, wow, this is God's blessing. I wonder if it's connected to the fact that I've started to tithe. And don't wonder, because it is. Because I challenge you. Maybe you're here this morning and you have been tithing, but you haven't been truly tithing. So I've been tithing off my income, but I haven't been tithing off my increase. Well, maybe start. I've been tithing off my net, but I haven't been tithing off my gross. Well, maybe start. Well, I've been tithing. I give it to God if there's anything left over at the end. Well, maybe give it to God first and put him first. I'm just telling you, I'm excited when God says, test me, prove me, see if this is true. And I just want to give you the challenge. Will you take the challenge? I will give by faith believing that the same God who I've placed my eternal destiny in his hands can also make sure that I've got food to eat and clothes to wear. Will you prove God? That's why I wrote the New World of Prayer, Heavenly Father. Thank you, Lord, for your word. Thank you for the Bible. What I realized that this sermon and this subject can be odd for people, and I get that. But Lord, I pray that you'd help us to be people who acknowledge every teaching in the Bible and people who acknowledge you, that we are to honor you with all our substance, that we are to acknowledge that everything we have came from you. And Lord, I do thank you. I thank you that our church is filled with people who tithe, who faithfully, regularly tithe, not because they have to, but out of love for you because they want to and they want to acknowledge you. And Lord, I thank you for that. And I pray that you'd help us to continue to be a healthy church of people who would tithe and even give above our tithe generously to the work of God. In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.