 Alright, keep your place there in 2 Corinthians chapter 9. So 2 Corinthians chapter 9 is talking about Paul is talking to the Corinthians. You see there, when he talks about Achaia, he's talking about the Corinthians, they're in the area of Achaia. So he's talking to the Corinthians about this special offering that he's bringing to Jerusalem. We'll hear about that a little bit more later on in the sermon, but he's bragging about these Macedonians and he's saying, you know, he's kind of using them as an example. So with that, let's put the special offering to the side a little bit and we'll talk about that towards the middle of the sermon, but I want to just give an intro on the sermon this morning. You know, this is not something that, you know, we're going to talk about a lot here and I'm going to explain to you why we won't probably talk about it that much at the end of the sermon, but we're going to talk about giving this morning. We're going to talk about, you know, money and giving money to the church and to the, you know, the cause of giving money to the Lord, basically. The Bible actually talks a lot about it. It's not something that we're going to discuss every sermon here, right? And I'll explain why, but, you know, you need to understand the Bible's stance on giving and really if it's in the Bible we're eventually going to get to it here. And it's something that, you know, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to preaching, but it's in the Bible so I have to preach it at some point. But look, it's something that is abused by many churches today and it's abused by, you know, pastors who are trying to, I've been in churches like this, but it's been abused by pastors that preach a prosperity gospel and that, you know, you have to give money to me or, you know, your life's going to fall apart kind of thing and people that are trying to build a personal empire, you know, huge building funds and all these types of things. But, you know, the Bible actually does address it. So let's look at the biblical stance on it and let's talk about it. So today we're going to talk about your increase, your income. We're going to talk about where it comes from and in a couple weeks we're actually, it's kind of a perfect lead in with the vision offering because in a couple weeks we're going to start a sermon series talking about what the Bible says on how you should manage your money. On how, you know, you can be a responsible manager of what God has given you. Alright, so the first topic tonight before we, or this morning before we get into the special offerings is really just basic tithing. I mean, what does the Bible say about it? Turn to Leviticus chapter 27. You know, what is, you know, what is the tithe? What is the tithe in the Bible? What does the Bible say about it? Well, how does it apply to us today? Turn to Leviticus chapter 27. It's kind of perfect that I can actually preach a message like this because if you think that I'm after your money you're, you know, probably crazy. I mean, I don't get paid to do this so it's a perfect opportunity for someone to, you know, preach on what the Bible says about money. Alright, turn to Leviticus chapter 27. Look at verse number 30. Where the Bible says, 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. And if a man will at all redeem out of his tithes he shall add there unto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod saying whatever you is your labor is of your labor the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. Turn to Numbers chapter 18. So this in Leviticus 27 it's basically saying that you know a tenth part of your increase of your gains whether it be fruit or grain or livestock or whatever it is that you do for your living is the Lord's. And if you're caught the Bible says here not, you know, this was the law of the land there remember that if you were caught keeping back part of that 10 percent you're gonna be charged 20 percent the fifth part thereof. Okay, so that's, you know, five into a hundred is 20 percent little math lesson in the Bible there. Turn to Numbers chapter 18 and look at verse number 26. The Bible says again thus speak unto the Levites and say to them, say unto them when you take of the children of the Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance then you shall offer up and heave offering of it for the Lord even a tenth part of the tithe or of your increase. So if you have a job and you make money the Bible teaches that it is God that gives you that increase and I'll show that to you now. Turn to Ecclesiast actually turn to 1 Kings chapter 3. Ecclesiastes one of my favorite books in the Bible was written by a man who was given pretty much everything you could possibly imagine by God. He was given great wisdom, great riches by the Lord. King Solomon. Let's look at that story in 1 Kings chapter 3. 1 Kings chapter 3. Look down at verse number 5. So Solomon, you know, he gave us, you know, Solomon did not do well as a manager of what God had given him, you know, towards the end of his life especially and he gives us the book of Ecclesiastes to warn us against going down the same road. But let's look at the beginning for Solomon. In 1 Kings chapter 3 look at verse number 5. In the Bible reads, in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and God said, ask what I shall give thee. Now imagine that. That's a pretty nice moment right there when God appears to you and says what do you want? And Solomon, who's a young man at this point? Remember, he's a young man less than 20 years old, maybe, you know, in his mid teens at this point. Imagine the answer from a teenager today that Solomon gives. And Solomon said, thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee and thou hast kept him from this great kindness and thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. And now, oh Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father and I am but a little child. I now know how to I now not, I know not how to go out or come in and thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou has chosen a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give there thy servant give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge the people that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this I so great a people. So he he could ask for anything and what is he asked for? He asked for an understanding heart that he could discern good and bad so he could judge the people so he could be a good ruler over the people and that's what he asked for and in verse number 10 the Bible says and the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing and God said unto him because thou had asked this thing and it's not asked for thyself a long life neither has asked riches for thyself nor has asked the life of thine enemies but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment. Well I mean think about it God expected him to ask for a long life it's the first thing he asked for. I mean look at how concerned people are about their long life. You know what I mean? I mean just but Solomon never asked for it. Behold I have done according to thy words low I have given thee a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee neither after these shall any arise like unto thee and we see in the Bible the great wisdom of Solomon after this happens because God gave him that wisdom people came from all over the world giving him gifts of gold and riches and animals and exotic things just to hear his wisdom think about that and that came from the Lord and then verse number 13 and I have also given thee that which thou has not asked both riches and honor so that there shall be not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. So God said because you only asked for this I'm giving you all the wisdom you'll be wiser than any man or any man to come and I'm also gonna make you a great king who's rich basically God gave him all these riches and from that he squandered it he made the wrong decisions he married all these wives he ruined much of his life and he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes for us. Now look at Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and from that Solomon from that wisdom he wrote Ecclesiastes and there's so much great advice in Ecclesiastes for us with the work of the Holy Spirit and King Solomon with his life writing that down for us that we could not make these same mistakes. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 Ecclesiastes chapter 5 look at verse number 18 and the Bible says this it says behold that which I have seen it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the sun so look first of all there's nothing wrong with working hard and earning a living and enjoying the fruit of that labor nothing at all the Bible says but look what it says and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life which God giveth him for it is his portion so look God gives you all the days of your life any the blessings or any the things that you have in your life it's because God gave you those things so the danger is is that you go out and you work hard and you earn all these things and then you say to yourself look what I have done no the Bible says that those things and it says in many other places we don't have time to study that out but basically everything that you earn is a gift from God everything that you have your look you're commanded to go out and work you're commanded to go out and toil by the sweat of your face man and everything you earn is still a gift from God the Bible says it's only by God's grace that you know you get up every morning and are able to follow his commandments and do what he says you're supposed to do alright so this idea that a tithe is you giving 10% of your increase or income to the Lord you know it's your that's all God requires back of the gift that he gives you basically turn to Malachi chapter 3 it's all his it's all given to you by him and he would only like 10% in return is what the Bible says now Malachi was a prophet during Nehemiah and Ezra during the rebuilding of Jerusalem during the rebuilding of the wall I'm just a little historical context for you there look at Malachi chapter 3 and verse number eight the Bible says this it says will and rob God yet you have robbed me but you say where in have we rob the and he says in ties and offerings you are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation bring you all the ties into the storehouse that there may be meet in my house and prove me now here with say 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 so I mean there is some biblical truth to this fact that if you do tied and you just give your tithe to God like he says he wants that God says you'll pour you out a blessing now look it can be taken way too far what I said you know by saying that you know hey all you have to do is give me all your money and then God will make you successful God will make you CEO of that company you know God will make you the most powerful person in Fresno you know if you just give me all your money you know see that's taking it too far but God does say if you have the faith and just do what I say you're supposed to do that he will you just he'll take care of it he'll take care of it for you alright verse number 11 and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and you shall not destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall you neither shall your vine cast your fruit before the time in the field say at the Lord of hosts he's like he's I'm gonna bless your your your work of your hands you don't steal from me basically is what he's saying so if you're not giving your tithe he basically says you know you're robbing from God you're stealing from God look at Proverbs chapter 3 Proverbs chapter 3 Proverbs chapter 3 and then people will say well you know 10% how does that work is that you know before or after taxes and what about tax credits that Trump's gonna give me because of what's going on here and all that how's all this work in at where's at where's this in turbo tax right look at Proverbs chapter 3 and verse number nine we'll make it real simple for you here the Bible says honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase so the first thing that you're supposed to do before you give Uncle Sam his money is give the Lord his money back give the Lord his 10% period so 10% of your living is the Lord's I'm sorry to ruin your day with the Bible that's what the Bible says and it's the first 10% and now you say yeah but that's the Old Testament well I'm glad you brought that up turn you know turn to Genesis chapter 14 first of all if Jesus didn't revoke it it's still in play today in Malachi chapter 3 a couple verses before we were just reading in verse number 8 the Bible says for I am the Lord I change not the God of the Old Testament same God as the New Testament look at Genesis chapter 14 here we see a story of Lot as soon as he separated from Abraham Lot gets taken captive there was this war between the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and this other king and you know they lose and Lot gets taken captive so Abraham he hears about this somebody escapes the war and he hears about it and he takes 300 plus of his own servants of his house and he goes and he just whips everybody and he kills all these kings and you know which must tell you you know these weren't just they weren't just sweeping the floor at Abraham's house right I mean these were mighty men of war but that's that's beside the point but look down at verse number 18 after this happens and he rescues Lot this man comes to meet Abraham and the Bible says in Genesis 14 verse 18 and McKills the deck the 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 of the Most High God professor of heaven and earth verse number 20 and blessed be the Most High God which had delivered thine enemies into thine hand what does the Bible say that God will do if he's on our side one man will chase a thousand right we've been talking about this for the last couple weeks sounds like Abraham you know had his enemies delivered into his hand by God in that war which had delivered that enemies into that hand and he gave them ties gave him ties of all so Abraham tithed ten percent of his spoil to this man to this this priest of the Most High God now turned to Hebrews chapter seven here we see a great part of the Bible where the the New Testament shines light on the Old Testament story for us because when we see this Old Testament story you know you might just read past it but when you read the New Testament you see that something wonderful happened here you see that something amazing happened here to Abram and look at Hebrews chapter seven and verse number one and the Bible is talking in Hebrews chapter seven about this Melchizedek and who he was and in verse number one it says for this Melchizedek king of Salem priest of the Most High God that's exactly how he's described in the Old Testament who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him that's what happened in verse number twenty of Genesis fourteen to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all so we know see that in verse number twenty and it says and he gave him ties of all we don't really there's not a lot of detail there but it tells him that Abraham gave a tenth part to this Melchizedek so we see the light shining on it here and then in verse number two of Hebrews number seven it says to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all first being by interpretation king of righteousness so this is who this king of Salem was he was the king of righteousness and after that also king of Salem he was also this king of Salem which is king of peace is this ringing some bells like hmm this sounds like someone I know look at verse number three without father without mother without dissent meaning earthly father mother having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the son of god abideth a priest continually now this goes into the doctrine of Hebrews on how you know jesus is the eternal high priest and that you know that differs from the levitical priesthood which always had to be replaced because the priest would die then we'd have to have his son be a priest and his son be a priest but jesus is the eternal priest that order never has to be replaced so this king of Salem was an appearance of the son of god in the old testament now if you go on the internet and read a bunch of commentary there's people that will debate about this but we just settled the debate for you right now the debate is settled with this this criteria right here if you read the bible literally then the king of Salem was an appearance of jesus christ in the old testament period and we read the bible literally here hate to break it to you but that's what we do the bible is literal unless it is clearly meant not to be you know like as unto his hair was you know as white as wool it wasn't wool it was as white as wool you know things like that but we read the bible literally here so if you read the bible literally look if you don't read the bible literally by the way anything goes anything goes i can change the bible into anything i want just by saying oh you know that you have to take it into the cultural context of the times you know women can be preachers because the cultural context of the time you know men were pigs back then you know i mean you see you can change the bible any way you want if you don't actually listen to what the bible's words say and believe those words it's that simple back to the whole point of the sermon the point i'm trying to make is is that abraham paid tithe to jesus he paid tithe to the son of god did jesus say no that no longer applies to me turn to matthew chapter twenty three it's in the actual new testament as well turn to matthew chapter twenty three let's look at the actual new testament because jesus actually addressed this as well when he was uh... on earth uh... as the you know the word become flesh look at matthew twenty three in verse number twenty three jesus is rebuking the Pharisees here and the bible says in verse number twenty three of matthew twenty three woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and common and of omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith and then he says these ought ye to have done what does he mean by that he means you should have done the first things and not to leave the other undone so he's talking about two things he's talking about these Pharisees were paying their tithe he's like but they admitted these they omitted these weightier matters mercy faith judgment so there's weightier matters but he didn't say that the other thing was null and void he said you should be doing that you should have done that but you're not doing these really important things is what he said so look that that's the conclusion i mean tithing is clear in the bible so these people that say that tithing is is not a new testament doctrine or whatever i mean it's just made up there's there's no bible to back it up at all okay now look i mean just to conclude this idea of tithing let me just say that the rules and laws of the bible are there to help and protect us all right i mean they're they're logical mean the bible the bible is our common sense think about it you ever heard people say that you know common sense is dead today well the reason the common sense seems dead today is because nobody knows what the bible says anymore that's why it's dead you know how many people believe the bible today when you're out soul winning how many people do you run into the just like all i believe every word the bible says not that many people that's why there's no common sense anymore mean the commandments in the bible god's law i mean their commandments in the bible every sermon could just be because god says so let's have coffee because god said so let's go soul winning it could be like a ten minute sermon tithe let's hang out for a while that's it god says so but what they're there to also protect us think of it think of it fornication it i mean that's a commandment god god yells against fornication in the bible is fornication good for you physically is fornication good for you mentally now so god's law is also good for us think of you know drunkenness is that good for you i mean is that good for you physically or mentally is that is that something that you should be doing look at these people out here you ever talk to them their minds are gone they're melted upstairs or they're possessed one of the two but the point is it's not good for you not only is it a commandment of god but it's there to protect you and tithing is no different tithing is no different the ministry isn't free think about it i mean if you don't tithe it's free to you but it's nothing is free but nothing is free folks and this is an epidemic that's going on today you know just this this prevailing thought that everything is free in america you know one of the guys running for president you know is just like i'm gonna give everybody free everything you know free college and free everything right you don't have to do anything it's all gonna be free the only problem with this is math it just it can't work that way everyone can't just stop it's driving me nuts over the last couple weeks everyone needs to just stay home for like two months we can't just stop the country it doesn't work that way someone's got to pull the cart everything's not free it's a generational disease unfortunately even your salvation it was free to you but somebody paid jesus christ paid a heavy price but it was free to you so don't take this thing too far like the ministry the ministry is not free these lights cost money the rent on this building cost money missionary work cost money you know it's the same thing there first timothy five eighteen i'll just read for you the bible says you know a pastor's livelihood costs money a pastor should be paid that's a sermon in itself the bible says for the scripture sayeth thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward there's nothing wrong there's a whole nother false doctrine out there that pastor shouldn't be paid it's it's stupid i'm not a pastor i don't need to be paid but the point is that pastors there's not that pastor should be paid the laborers worthy of his reward so just think you know if you're gonna if you're gonna rob god and you think everything is free to you that's your choice that's your choice but but good night you know you're going nowhere in life i hate to break it to you i mean if everything comes from the lord nothing is coming your way if you operate that way alright so that i mean that's that's tithing let's talk about this idea of of special offerings that's kind of what we read about in second Corinthians chapter nine turn to first Corinthians chapter sixteen so there's this story throughout the new testament and it's in several books of the new testament but paul is basically he's on this mission he's taking this special offering to jerusalem he's taking special offering to jerusalem if you turn to first Corinthians chapter sixteen this is paul's call to the Corinthian church for this special offering to them and he says in first Corinthians chapter sixteen verse number one he says now concerning the collection for the saints as i have given order to the churches of galatia even so do ye upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay lay by him in store as god hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when i come he's like just take care of it now please put it aside so it's just there and there's no debate or argument about this when i come i just want to take it and then i'll just go and i'll bring it to jerusalem in verse three he says when i come whosoever you shall approve by your letters them will i send to bring your liberality onto jerusalem liberality meaning you know your your uh... your gender your generosity is what he's saying and if you be meet that i go also they shall go with me now i come on to you when i shall pass through massadonia for i do pass through massadonia so he's going through massadonia now turn to roman's chapter fifteen and so paul has asked them to set aside this offering for jerusalem and if you go to roman's chapter fifteen roman's chapter fifteen we're gonna hear more about this massadonian church and i want to work them into the story because they're key to what actually ends up happening here and he explains this special offering a little bit more in roman's chapter fifteen when he's writing to the church at roam and the bible says in roman's fifteen verse twenty four when so ever i take my journey into spain i will come to you for i trust to see you in my journey and be brought on my way thither word by you if first i'd be somewhat filled with your company but now i go to jerusalem to minister onto the saint's he's going and he's bringing this this offering to the saint's in jerusalem for it at please them of massadonia and aka aka i is where the carinthian church is to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at jerusalem and this is great verse number twenty seven specially for us it at please them verily and their and their debtors they are he's saying that the church in current corinth and the church in massadonia is at their debtors to the church in jerusalem for if the gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to minister onto them in carnal things this is a great verse for us because guess what i got news for you we would not even be here if it wasn't for verity baptist church sacrament if it wasn't for a man starting a church in his house starting this wonderful church of sold out christians in sacramental california that just started planting churches throughout california and other parts of the country and other parts of the world we would not be here we are a partaker of their spiritual things so i mean it is so appropriate for us gather some liberality and send it to an evangelist of theirs of ours that's very appropriate according to the verse number twenty seven i mean we wouldn't even be here and then verse number twenty eight when therefore i perform this and i have sealed it to them this fruit i will come by you into spain turn to second carinthians chapter eight but it gets even better the story gets even better in second carinthians chapter eight this is the verse rate before the one we read before the sermon it gets even better because paul ends up seeing something in the massadonians that he ends up you know boasting in front of the carinthians about look at first second carinthians chapter eight verse number one in the bible says this it says more over brethren we do you wit of the grace of god bestowed on the churches of massadonia how that in great affliction and the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality now look at verse number two now tell me if this isn't a sandwich of of of items here he says that this church in massadonia in great trial of affliction in the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality look he's saying that like these people are afflicted and they're poor but they gave in liberality think about it and then guess what guess what's in the middle there they're very joyful people during affliction all if americans could get this i mean i i want to beat my head on this pulpit right now i mean americans i mean what my wife said to me this morning we were talking about this very verse and she said to me this morning imagine what it was like when my dad was twenty she said when my dad was twenty in america think about today think about today people are just freaking out so far and hopefully turns into nothing but i mean they're just freaking out for for no reason and like just imagine my wife's parents when they my wife's dad when he was twenty they're poor farmers they have no money and the government comes and says you're going to vietnam ten percent casualties your son is going to vietnam your poor we're taking one of you we're taking part of your business away just thinking the money of it we're taking part of your business away and oh by the way there's a good chance like a good real chance that he'll die i mean that so he went and he came back and god i mean thank god he didn't die think of today we're like oh they're out of tri-tip i mean it's pitiful we're so weak in this country it it it makes me sick actually because you know what people not that long ago we talked about joshua and the generations being able to see them i can still see those generations that were strong and we're weak today nobody wants anybody to die of illness but we're weak it's pitiful we think about it of the people that went to vietnam ten percent casualties three percent actually died i mean that's hard times that's difficult times you have no choice you're going that's it they were drafted those are hard times people have gone through hard times before you need to get some perspective on things but look at these Macedonians in their great affliction they're joyful it says they have an abundance of joy an abundance of joy it's not just like yeah some of them are joy there's an abundance of joy there in great affliction and poverty i mean look do you have to have money to be happy if you do if you think about it you go home tonight and you say you know what if i was broke i wouldn't be happy there's a problem in your life a big problem because these people their deep poverty they were joyful they were under affliction of many different kinds i'm sure for to their power i bear record ye and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints in Jerusalem turn back to second Corinthians chapter nine second Corinthians chapter nine and paul boasts about these people in second Corinthians chapter nine verse one for his touching the ministering to the saints talking about going to minister to Jerusalem it is superfluous for me to write to you for i know the forwardness of your mind for which i boast of you to them of Macedonia that akea was ready a year ago and your zeal half provoked very many he's telling them what your zeal what you said you were going to do provoked a lot of people now are you going to do it that's what he's saying to current to the Corinthians he's telling them alright so look the special offerings are very biblical especially in our case because of verse number twenty seven the one flying california he's back flies in california i could preach a whole sermon on flies there's no flies here except this one in this building anyway so you say you know you say you know just a little application you know before we end the sermon here you say ah a money sermon you know well i mean the bible talks a lot about money the doctrine about giving money is throughout the entire bible and you know for the vision offering the conclusion of the matter is this look at verse number seven it's the verse of the week of second Corinthians chapter nine for every man according as a purpose in his heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for god loveth a cheerful giver so look the bottom line is this everything that we have is from the lord and god loves a cheerful giver so if if you don't want to give if you're if you're sitting there and you're saying ah another offering don't give money to the vision offering if you're saying you know uh... this this church look i've been in a church and i've been this guy thinking about this when somebody's preaching money at me i'm just like this guy only wants this money and all this if you're thinking about like that because of this vision offering give to the vision offering because god wants you to give not out of necessity but willingly out of your heart forgot god loves a cheerful giver so what you know i obviously don't want your money i mean that that should be obvious to you you know uh... i'm just here to tell you what the bible says i'm here hate to break it to you uh... but let me just end the sermon with this this is one of those moments a sermon like this is one of those moments that will tell you where your idols are you know sometimes sermons uh... will tell you you know that maybe i have an idol somewhere and you say you know what do you mean an idol is something where you you see a clear commandment from the bible and you're like you know what i just don't want to do that because of whatever reason that's an idol to you people can have idols of you know you know changing their standards in their life there there can be idols there people's children can be their idols you know i don't wanna i don't have enough faith in god to to discipline my children to do this with my children like the bible says i want to do it my way because of how my heart feels that's an idol to you and i have you know i have news for you in the bad thing about it is this is that god tells you throughout the bible wherever your idols are god will destroy your idols god will actively work to destroy the idols in your life so what i mean good luck with your financial future if you have money as an idol and you're saved because the bible's you know it's god's money you know god gave it to you i told you i used to work for a man that you know it was a very devout catholic man you know he wasn't saved but he was very devout in in certain things of the catholic church but he was a very hard-working man he was a very hard-working man you struggle to find a man that worked harder than this man and he said to me on a number of occasions when i was a i was a young man working for him on this farm he said to me on a number of occasions he's like i go to church and i do what i'm supposed to do and i do what the priest says like but god doesn't put food on my table wrong wrong yes he does and he promises that he will and that was a mess and you know what he i wasn't even saved at that time but that just didn't sound right to me even at that time i wasn't even saved as a young man i was fifteen sixteen years old and you know i had a lot of respect for this guy and he was you know i had a lot of maybe my work ethic came from working beside this man but that just didn't sound right to me and it wasn't right you know so it's much better to just realize that it's much better to just do what we're supposed to do work hard be thankful for what god has given us like i can tell you that like personally my finance my finances never got were better than when i just quit worrying about money and just did what i was supposed to do just quit worrying about money i mean when i was working so hard to be rich you know in my own mind i was working so hard to be rich when i was in my twenties you know it it was like brick wall after brick wall and i mean i'm not rich god doesn't want me to be rich i don't want to be rich you know i've learned i've learned that as well but look be thankful you know get your heart get your heart in the right place and god will god will take it from there as far as tithing goes says a guy who's up here been given the great privilege to lead this church and to lead this satellite look as far as tithing goes i'm telling you i round up because i don't want to miss anything okay so that that's my testimony that's what i do and and i god deserves more from me than that and like so look look folks like so many other things like so many other things think about what's happening today look we don't live in boring times i'll tell you that i mean we're not living in boring times so that's that's an upside right like so many things in life it's just a matter of faith that's it i mean why do we worry so much about stupid things that we don't have to worry about money is just one more example of that it's just a matter of faith if if i all i cannot if i give ten percent but the lord is able to give you much more than this got to do things for you that you can't even imagine in your head can make put things together for you so it's just it's just it's just a matter of faith that's it so that's the that's the money sermon so i you know that's what the bible says and it's just it's just faith everything's just faith are we gonna be okay is this church going to be okay it's just faith i mean james chapter two show me your faith without works and i'll show you my faith by my works that's what it's talking about where's your faith put it into action let everything else go let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer dear heavenly father we thank you for this church what i ask that you uh... just help us take your word and just do it it says or and just have faith what i ask you to place that i had your protection around this church you know this this madness and craziness we're just uh... we we advocate that you you know just just stop uh... and just make this this whole thing is going on this country in this world uh... that you just give us more time to reach more people or and that you know what we just ask that you just put the faith in our hearts protect this church protect the people in this church or and just help us just move on faith with everything or we love you and in jesus name we pray amen