A New Provision - Part 2
Blessings & Curses / Sowing & Reaping
Mal
3:8-11
1.
Two things that we looked at last week:
a.
#1 The tithe belongs to God
b.
#2 God considers it robbing from Him if we
withhold it
2.
OK, “got that Pastor Clay.” But there are two additional points that are
important.
a.
#1 If we give the tithe, we’re blessed with a blessing.
b.
#2 If we withhold the tithe, we’re cursed with a curse
Curses
3.
Curse? Wait a minute, that doesn’t seem right
that God would curse a Christian, does it? Let me explain what a curse it.
a.
A curse isn’t like voodoo, it’s not an evil
spell that God puts on you.
b.
Hebrew arar
(aw-rar') – means “bound up, bitter” same word as Gen 3:17
…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you
shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring
forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. Gen 3:17-18
c. This doesn’t mean the ground is now evil, but rather the ground
no longer has the supernatural blessing of God to bear forth fruit without any
effort – I.E. the Garden of Eden!
4.
CONTRAST: A blessing is having God’s supernatural
power and protection at work in our lives!
a.
So a curse would be the absence of God’s power and protection, which exposes us to
the curse of this fallen world.
5.
That’s why God said “I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes”
a.
The devil is real, and one of the ways he attacks
us is financially
b.
Without the supernatural power and protection of
God, Christians are in a vulnerable state.
c.
When a person withholds what rightfully belongs
God, they don’t have the supernatural
power and protection of God at work in their life.
Example of Achan
6.
I can't think of a better example than that of
the account of Achan. (turn to Joshua 1)
a.
God sent forth the Israelites, under the command
of Joshua, to take possession of the Promised Land.
b.
God even gave them a promise:
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you
shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give
them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according
to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the
right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. Joshua 1:6-7
c.
in other words:
Put me first, obey Me, and you’ll have my supernatural power working on
your behalf!
7.
So, off they go to the first city that they were
to take: Jericho, and listen to what God said about Jericho:
"…all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze
and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the
LORD" Josh 6:19
a.
Here’s what God is saying: “You're going to take this whole land, and
get lots of treasure, but the first city, Jericho, that treasure belongs to Me,
it goes to the House of the Lord.”
b.
Yes, Jericho
was the tithe... The rest of the loot from all of the other cities that
they conquered, they were free to keep.
8.
So off they go to Jericho, God delivers on His
promise, the walls fall down, and they take the city…
a.
But during that raid, a man named Achan ran
across a little stash of gold, silver, and a nice cape, and he took it for
himself.
b.
What happened?
When the Israelites went into the next battle, they were defeated! They
were powerless against their enemies.
9.
When Joshua asked God "what
happened?", God told Joshua
Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My
covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed
things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among
their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become
doomed to destruction. Joshua 7:10-11
10. In
other words, “someone stole the tithe” and thus the power and protection of God
was not with them.
a.
God called the stuff that was taken by Achan
"the accursed things", because it was stuff that was stolen from God.
b.
Affirms what God said in Malachi: The firstfruit, when withheld from God,
becomes cursed.
If I withhold
from the Lord what is His, the tithe, then the power and protection of God is
no longer on my money. It becomes
“accursed” because it was stolen from God.
11. And
note, Achan’s sin didn’t just affect Achan, it affected the entire nation - the
supernatural power of God was removed from all of Israel.
a.
The picture: When a man does not give to God the
firstfruit, it affects all of his finances, and his entire family.
12. I’m
sure you’ve heard some Christians say, “I’m always broke, I can’t afford to
tithe…”
a.
The reality is – because they’re withholding from
God what is rightfully His, God’s power and protection is not on their
finances.
b.
(That’s why I say “I can’t afford not to tithe!)
Blessings
13. Now
before we get depressed, we can rejoice that the opposite is true:
If I am
faithful to give to the Lord what is His, then I can expect a blessing. When I
honor God with the firstfruit, I have the power and protection of God on the
remainder.
14.
In other words, putting God first with our
firstfruits unlocks the power,
protection, and provision of
God.
a.
Power - God will supernaturally bless our hand
in all we do
b.
Protection - God will protect us from the
enemy’s attempts to steal our provision.
c.
Provision – God will provide for our needs
15. The
first portion, the tithe, has a redemptive impact on the rest;
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy…
Rom 11:16
a.
The firstfruit is the TRIGGER that unlocks God’s
blessing on our finances.
b.
And not just a little blessing, God says it will
be a BIG blessing…
“open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for
you such blessing That there will not be
room enough to receive it.“ Mal 3:10
16. Now
stop and think about this for a second:
What would you prefer:
a.
90% of your income that has God’s blessing and
protection on it?
b.
Or 100% of your income WITHOUT the blessing and
protection of God?
17. For
me, I would rather have the 90%, not only because God will protect the 90%, but
also because God will take that 90% and MULTIPLY it!
The Principle of
Sowing and Reaping
(2 Cor 9:6-10)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let
each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for
God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance
for every good work. 10 Now may He who
supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed
you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 2 Cor 9:6-10
18. Think
of a farmer that has a sack of seed:
a.
Option 1 - He could mill all of it to make
bread. He’d have lots of bread, but eventually it would run out, and he would
have no way to feed his family or get more seed.
b.
Option 2 - He could sow ALL of it, and he’d have
lots more seeds, but then his family would have no bread.
c.
Option 3 - He could mill some of the seed to
feed his family, and plant the rest. (#3 obviously the best option)
19. KEY
– HOW MUCH?
a.
Too little bread / too much seed: He’ll have lots of seed, but his family might
starve.
b.
Too much bread / too little seed: He’ll have lots of bread, but it’ll go bad,
and his family will eat too much and have lots of health problems!
i. And
his seed supply will dwindle each year –
20. So
what we need is a guide – how much to eat, how much to sow.
a.
Tithe is a debt you owe, giving is a seed you
sow
b.
Give 10% to the Lord
On the first day of each week, you should each put
aside a portion of the money you have earned. 1 Cor 16:2
c.
Save 10%
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's
dwelling, but a foolish man devours it Prov 21:20
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever
gathers little by little will increase it. Prov 13:11
d.
Avoid debt – debt eats into your income, and
hinders you from being able to sow seeds.
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the
slave of the lender. Prov 22:7
i. Never
use credit for living expenses
ii. Don’t
borrow for depreciating assets
e.
Wisely use the other 80%, which means setting your lifestyle to the place where
your family is cared for, your saving for the future, and you are able to sow
seeds into God’s kingdom.
21. God
knows we have to take some of the seed He’s given us and use it for our
material needs (bread for food),
a.
but the rest
of the seed God gives is an opportunity to sow into his Kingdom
b.
And when we sow seeds, God will multiply them…
Principles of
Sowing & Reaping
#1 You will reap WHAT
you sow
22. Agriculture
101: If you sow corn seeds, you’re going
to reap corn; if you sow wheat seeds, you’re going to reap wheat;
a.
This principle applies to every area of life:
Love, kindness, friendship, if you sow money, you will reap money (any investor
knows this!)
b.
It’s no surprise at how often people sow bad
seeds (anger, selfishness, stinginess) but they then wonder why they aren’t
experiencing the blessings of God!
c.
You
will reap what you sow.
#2 You Reap AFTER
you Sow
23. Before
there can ever be a reaping, there must be a sowing.
a.
Any farmer knows if you want corn to come out of
the ground, you have first plant corn, then after
a season, you’ll reap corn!
b.
Some people think, “If God will bless me, then
I’ll be a giver…”
c.
Paul doesn’t say “reap, then you’ll sow…”
3 You Reap MORE
than you Sow
24. Again
every farmer knows, if you plant one bushel of wheat, you’ll harvest 50-60
bushels.
a.
God takes the seeds we sow, and He multiplies
them.
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread
for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of
your righteousness 2 Cor 9:10
25. Notice
that God supplies seed - NOT to the “keeper” but to the “sower,”
a.
I.E. God
gives seeds to people who will sow them.
b.
(Example:
Aid agency)
26. When
we sow seeds into His kingdom, God “increases the fruits of our righteousness”.
a.
Meaning: We are storing up treasures in heaven
Where are you planting your seeds?
27. Think
about this: This physical realm in which we exist, will it last forever?
a.
No. Even
if you don't believe in God, second law of thermodynamics shows that everything
is in a state of decay
b.
(I recently watched a documentary, at some point
all of the Helium in the stars will be exhausted…)
c.
The bible teaches us that one day God is going
to eliminate this physical realm.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will
be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10
d.
What Peter is describing, 1000 years before
physicists understood it, is God will release the atomic structure that holds
all matter together, and in one huge thermonuclear event, this physical world
will vanish.
28. But
God is going to create a new heaven and earth, that will be eternal:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away. Rev 21:1
29. Now
track with me: Should we be building up
treasures in a place that’s scheduled for destruction?
a.
That would be like telling a man to store his
priceless artwork in a warehouse that was scheduled to be demolished!
b.
NO! Store
up your treasures in a place that is eternal, a place called heaven! (You can’t
take it with you, but you can send it ahead!)
30. I’m
trying to change your perspective; I’m trying to get you to see that all we are
doing here is stewarding over a temporary world, preparing for the time when
the Lord Jesus Christ returns, and ushers us to heaven.
a.
If we aren’t faithful with material things – I.E. What God entrusts to us here on
earth,
b.
Then why would we expect to be trusted to be
faithful with eternal things that God will reward us with in
heaven.
31. I
believe it’s God’s desire to give great blessings to us, here in God’s house,
and in Heaven.
a.
It’s not what He wants FROM us, but what He
wants FOR us!
b.
If we'll simply trust Him, align our lives with
His principles,
c.
Which are: Wise management of the life, resources
and blessings that God has given to us here in this life, in a way that brings
glory to Him, and expands His Kingdom.
d.
And we will experience the blessings of
God. He promises it!
32. 90
Day Challenge
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