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.
