Return to Right Service

Throwing Money at the Problems

What a people we are here in the United States. Being in the most free country… most financially well off… most possessions in all the world. Yet we have a great problem… We have some of the greatest instances of anxiety, depression, and suicide rates world wide.

You might consider us to be cursed or something. It would one thing if this was only the case for those outside of Christ but examining the Christian Church in America we find this is more prevalent in the Church than outside of the church… What happened to the power? What happened to the signs? What happened to the wonders?

Some play pretend and conjure up a faux presence… others dismiss it… still others call the church so irreparably broken they no longer want anything to do with it.

When we take a deeper look, we have the same problem the secular world does… we think that by throwing money at problems they will vanish… There are those who will not consider throwing money at the problem instead they have this wonderful concept that its not their problem if God wants to bless it He will do it… Forgetting they were sent to help. Its comical when the pastor begins to talk about tithes and offerings there are some that will clutch their purses and wallets a bit tighter as they state “Not today Pastor”

Deconflicting the words tithes and offerings we may find that while money is part of this it is only a fractional part… meaning the Lord is asking for so much more…

Before I am done my heart is that you will realize when as I speak about offering I am not just referring to money.

If we are to see the blessings restored we must ensure we return to right service of the Lord.

Malachi 3:6–7 ESV

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

We have engaged both leader and the congregation who have dealt poorly with the Lord

The Lord stands on His promises and calls you to maintain

Almost three full chapters prompting the people to return… prompting the people to change… prompting the people to wake up. Wake Up

He does not change… what He has spoken in past times He affirms…

The Lord’s desire is not to be apart from His people but to be in relationship with Him… Yet the people ask how shall we return?

Restore the Tithes and Offering to the Lord

Malachi 3:8–9 ESV

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

The nation of Israel had been robbing God… (reminder this was not just about money)

We look at the lack of power… lack of anointing… the starving of the people of God… we can no longer wonder why

There is nothing left for the Lord or God’s People

Today they church can put on a grand show but the Holy Spirit is not present.

The curse is called on the entire nation… someone needs to wake up and restore the offering.

The curse causes your state of affairs to mirror the state of affairs in the church…

If you want your house to have everything it needs then the priority needs to be ensuring the house of the Lord has what it needs.

Malachi 3:10 (ESV)

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house...

The command of the Lord is to bring the full tithe into His house…that there may be food...

Recent convo with wife… Fancy meal the expectation is the chef will cook all your food with care… Some may even state “I pay you to ensure the food I want is cooked to my desire” Now we do not expect the chef to clean the toilets… hold the door open… bus and wait tables… much less do we expect them to have another job to support their work as a chef… they should be dedicated to their craft and we are willing to pay them well to ensure they have what they need to make a proper meal.

Separate convo… Old friend and pastor stated “I never want to work for the church full time… ministers should never be supported by the church” “Ministers should have a secular job” “I will not give my money to the church its mine” He completed the statement by stating “My offering to the Lord is preaching His word”

Can I tell you how he prepared the word… six letter word: GOOGLE

If there is to be proper food in the house of the Lord those who are called to feed and tend to the flock must have time to prepare the meal…

It is not just money…

its your time… manual labor… its part of everything you “own”

Today we say tithe and understand it as 10% It should be stated this was a command of the OT… for some since we are not under that Law we no longer have to honor it… two responses to this:

What do we have that belongs to us? In this kingdom principal the Lord is teaching us to be dependent on Him

The OT was 10% the NT is EVERYTHING… according to what you have proposed in your heart (2 Cor 9)

Not reluctantly, not under compulsion

give what you decided

Acts 5:1-11 is the story of Ananias and Sapphira who were killed for not giving?

no the section of scripture speaks to the nature of having committed to giving something then withholding…(lying to the HS) It was theres it could have remained theres

The Heart Condition that Needs Repair

Malachi 3:14–15 ESV

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ”

What is in it for me?

Why should I serve the Lord?

Its not worth it?

If I dont get anything out of it then the Lord doesnt want it

Be like them… and be blessed like them

They dont sacrifice anything

They dont give

They dont serve

they prosper without trying I want to be like them

If God really wanted me to serve? If He really wanted everything from me, then He would not prosper those who dont give what I hear Him asking of me.

Restoring Right Service Restores the Blessings

Malachi 3:10–13 ESV

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’

Our responsibility is to ensure the house of the Lord Has all that it needs to ensure we are being fed properly....

The promises

Open the windows of Heaven

Your Home is blessed until there is no more need

Rebuke the devourer

the fruit of your Labor will render a yield

your vine will not fail

You will be as is found in Acts 1:8 a witness to the Lord… people will once again see the people of God operating in power

Living for the Lord… serving the Lord… giving our life to the Lord demand we surrender our life to Him… That means it is going to cost you everything.

When we see the house of the Lord blessed we are sure to see each of our households blessed… in other words our homes will mirror the condition of the church...

Today the Lord is asking us to return to right service… know that it is more than money it is every part of your life… as you commit… not reluctantly… not because you were guilted into it or being made to do it…