Topic: Blessing

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV (10) Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (11) You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Luke 9:12-17 NKJV When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” (13) But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” (14) For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” (15) And they did so, and made them all sit down. (16) Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. (17) So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

• The food did not multiply when Jesus prayed over and blessed the loaves and fishes.

• The miracle of multiplication did not happen in the Master’s hands – it happened in the disciple’s hands.

Four Principles of Multiplication:

1. What you have must be blessed before it can multiply.

Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. (9) You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. (10) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Hebrews 7:8 NKJV Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

2. It is the blessing of Jesus that gives it the potential to multiply. 

Luke 9:16 NKJV Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them…

3. Once it is blessed, what you have must be given away before it can multiply.

Only what you give over and above your tithes can be multiplied.

The way that we should operate in our finances:

1. Receive income (paycheck, gifts, sale of items, etc.)
2. Tithe (the FIRST 10%)
3. Pay your bills and debts
4. Give out of your discretionary income

4. There will be times of sowing and times of reaping.

A good farmer, learns the seasons and the cycles, so that they never go long without a harvest.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NLT (6) Remember this–a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. (7) You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (8) And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. (9) As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” (10) For God is the One who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. (11) Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV (10) Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (11) You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Ephesians 6:1-3 NKJV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,” which is the first commandment with promise: (3) “THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.”

Obedience is the act. Honor is the attitude. The blessing of God is on the attitude AND the act.

1 Samuel 2:30 NLT “…But I will honor those who honor Me…”

How can we honor God?

• With our bodies.

 1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT …for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

• With our praise and worship.

Psalms 66:2 NKJV Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.

• With our time.

• With our service.

• With our material possessions. 

Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; (10) So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

The tithe is the way we demonstrate honor to God with our material possessions.

Leviticus 27:30 NLT “One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to Him as holy.

Common arguments people use to not tithe:

1. “Tithing is under the law.” 

Genesis 14:18-20 NKJV Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (19) And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; (20) And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

2. “Tithing is under the law and as a believer I am not under the law but under grace; so, I don’t tithe.”

3. “I can’t afford to tithe.” 

Matthew 23:23 NLT “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law–justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 

Hebrews 7:8 NKJV Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 

Malachi 3:10 NLT Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!

Malachi 3:11-12 NLT Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. (12) “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 

This overflow of blessing is awaiting the person that chooses to honor God first with the tithe.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV (10) Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (11) You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Philippians 4:15 NIV Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;

Luke 6:38 KJV Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

1. You need to be thinking about your money.

Proverbs 27:23-27 NIV Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; (24) for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. (25) When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, (26) the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. (27) You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.

2. You need to get a job to start the flow of income to you.

3. Tithing opens up the channels of heaven! 

Malachi 3:10 NLT Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!

4. God’s blessings flow through channels.

Proverbs 8:10-11 NLT Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. (11) For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Proverbs 8:18-21 NLT I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. (19) My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! (20) I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. (21) Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries.

5. Wisdom is God’s currency!

Colossians 2:2-3 NIV My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Matthew 5:45 MSG …He gives his best–the sun to warm and the rain to nourish–to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.

6. It is your responsibility to enlarge your capacity.

Isaiah 54:2-3 NLT “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! (3) For you will soon be bursting at the seams…

7. Every believer needs a sixth-day project. 

Exodus 20:9 NIV Six days you shall labor and do all your work…

The sixth-day project ought to be something that is natural to you:

• More of what you do already.
• Fixing up your house to increase the value.
• Studying to invest money.
• Buying and selling cars.
• Finishing your degree.

 

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV (10) Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (11) You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:11 AMP Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way…

Notice this verse says that God wants you to be enriched in every area of your life – not just money.

Money is such an important topic in the Bible that it is the main subject of nearly half of the parables Jesus told. In addition, one in every seven verses in the New Testament deals with this topic. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, and more than 2,000 verses on money.

Ok, so the Bible is full of verses about money. This begs the question “why?” The answer:

• There is a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle money.

God wants to do much more for us than we are currently experiencing!

Luke 6:37-38 NKJV (37)  “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (38) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

The subject of these two verses is “judging.”

There is nothing in these two verses about money. The word “money” is not even used in these verses.

There are some grammatical things that we need to understand about Luke 6:38 so that we are able to understand it properly.

• “Give” is the action or the verb.
• “You” is the implied subject.
• “It” is an objective pronoun that can be replaced by “whatever you give.”

The simple truth that Jesus is giving us is that in God’s economy, whatever you give you will receive back and you always get back more than you give.

Good measure, pressed down and shaken together…

It’s a reference to how they did business in the markets in the East. When we buy a box of Cheerios today, it’s filled by weight, and you’ll notice that it settles down and there’s lots of room left. If you were to buy Cheerios in a market in Jesus’ time, they would fill up the box, press it down, shake it to get all of the air out, and then fill it again, so you had a completely filled, running over box of Cheerios.

This verse can be a great verse or a terrible verse because it all depends on what you give.

• If you judge people, judgment is going to be given back to you…
• If you condemn people, condemnation is going to be given back to you…
• If you give forgiveness, then forgiveness will be given back to you…
• If you love people, then love will be given back to you…

• These scriptures do not teach us the motive for giving; they teach us the  the reward for giving.

Luke 6:30 NKJV (30)   Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.

• Jesus is teaching us is that we should give to give and not give to get.

We preachers keep saying, “Give and you will get…”, “Give and you’ll get…”

Think about our Model, God Himself, has everything and has never once given so that He could get. He gives to give!

This is a work in our hearts that God wants to do.

• God does not bless giving. He blesses giving with the right heart.

When you give because you are wanting to help people and further God’s Kingdom that is the giving heart that God blesses.

Malachi 3:7 NKJV Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,…”

Matthew 6:21 NKJV (21)  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Notice that Jesus said your treasure does not follow your heart – your heart follows your treasure.

The simple truth is this: if you want your heart to be in the Kingdom of God, put your treasure there.

It is all about the heart!!!

There are four heart attitudes that we are going to have to deal with if we are going to be enriched in all things:

Deuteronomy 15:7-15 NKJV (7)  “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,(8)  but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.

1.    Deal With A Selfish Heart.

Deuteronomy 15:9 NKJV (9)  Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you.

Notice God considers selfishness as wicked.

We were all born selfish. One of the first words we learn is “mine.”

2.    Deal With A Grieving Heart.

Deuteronomy 15:10 NKJV (10)  You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.

Selfishness attacks before we give and grief attacks us after we give.

The reason that we grieve over money that we give is because we thought that it was ours. All of the money we have belongs to God. When He asks for it, we respond immediately.

3.    Develop A Generous Heart.

Deuteronomy 15:13-14 NKJV (13) And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; (14) you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the LORD has blessed you with, you shall give to him.

We must come to a place that we give generously when we give.

To give generously is to give more than the need.

4.    Develop A Grateful Heart.

Deuteronomy 15:15 NKJV (15)  You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.

Gratitude is what produces generosity.

I am thankful for what God has done in my life and there is no way that I could ever re-pay Him for what He has done in my life.

The way that I can express my gratitude is to generously make sure that every person possible hears the same truth that I heard that brought me out of slavery and bondage.

God really does want you to be rich so that you can be a blessing.