Break the Cycle – Part 3
God’s Economy vs. the World’s Economy – God has a way to bring us out of debt!
(Luke 16:10-13 AMPC) He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. (11) Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? (12) And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? (13) No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).
The handling of someone else’s money is the testing ground and basic qualifier for Kingdom promotion and being entrusted with the true riches. This all begins with the proper handling of what belongs to God.
Tithing is the First Step!
- The tithe belongs to God.
(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.
Tithing is an investment that God will use for our spiritual growth and development.
- The tithe is about your heart and not your money.
(Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Malachi 3:6-8 NKJV) “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (7) 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,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ (8) “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
- The tithe is about honoring God first!
(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.
Common arguments:
- Tithing is under the law.
Tithing pre-dates the law by 500 years.
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.
- Tithing is under the law and as a believer I am not under the law but under grace.
New Testament – “Generosity” – Under grace we always do more than what was expected under the law.
- I can’t afford to tithe.
You will never be able to afford to tithe until you begin to tithe. Remember, this is God’s economic system. It is going to be counter intuitive to the world’s way.
If Jesus said to you, “You ought to tithe,” would you do it?
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.
How do we tithe?
- We present our tithes to Jesus.
(Deuteronomy 26:1-3 NKJV) (1) “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, (2) that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. (3) And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’
(Hebrews 7:8 NKJV) Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
- We give our tithes in faith believing God’s Word.
Tithe believing that when you tithe, God rebukes the devourer for your sake, He will open the windows of Heaven, and pour out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
- We tithe our tithes with words.
(Deuteronomy 26:3 NLT) Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge to the LORD your God that I have entered the land He swore to our ancestors He would give us.’
(Hebrews 3:1 NKJV) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
- Make tithing an act of worship!
(Deuteronomy 26:1-4 NKJV) (1) “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, (2) that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. (3) And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ (4) “Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God.
Sample Tithe Confession:
I confess this day to You, Lord God, that I have come into the inheritance which You swore to give me. I was a sinner held in bondage and in darkness by Satan. But I called upon the Name of Jesus and You heard my cry and delivered me from the power and authority of darkness. You lifted me out of my affliction and oppression. You took me in and forgave me and translated me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. You made me Yours through the shed blood of Jesus and gave me authority over the evil one.
Jesus, as my Lord and High Priest, I bring the first fruits of my land (income) which You have given me. I expect You to set it before the Father and worship Him with it. I rejoice in all the good which You have given to me and my household. I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God and have done according to all that You have commanded me.
Now look down from heaven, Your holy habitation, and bless me, Your son and servant, according to Your riches in glory. Bless my land (job) as You have promised in Your Word.
I declare the blessing is pouring out and there’s not enough room to receive it! God, You have rebuked the devourer for my sake. The work of my hands will not be destroyed and come to nothing. Today, I am experiencing God’s supernatural increase, and I walk in it by faith. I worship You, Lord, and I call it done, in Jesus’ Name.