Your Covenant is Your Testimony

If you think about it…anything God does or says is covenant because He doesn’t lie. The Bible is full of covenants in the form of “If” “then” statements (whether literal or implied).

Covenant: A solemn agreement or promise, sometimes confirmed by sacrifice or by sharing a meal, by which two or more parties commit themselves to the rights and responsibilities demanded by their relationship and their agreed course of action, and accept the serious consequences of breaking faith. — M.H. Manser

The whole Bible is about covenants, in one form or another. If you think about it…anything God does or says is covenant because He doesn’t lie. The Bible is full of covenants in the form of “If” “then” statements (whether literal or implied).

Leviticus 26:3–4 NIV

“ ‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.

Series Theme: As His bride, His Body, His Building, His people, let us pursue a deeper understanding of and commitment to the covenant life to which Jesus has called us.

Over the last few weeks we have established a few truths about covenant

We are a covenant community

In covenant community, commitment is natural because of mutual love and a common connection

Covenant can only happen in community — the very nature of our God is triune — a community. God made many covenants — Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, David, the Israelites, the New Covenant, etc.,

2. Covenant people are faithful people

The best response to God's faithfulness is faithfulness to Him

3. Covenant Confidence

Recognize His promises every day

Respond to What God requires every day

3. Covenant Confidence

Nothing can impact your life more than the realization that God keeps His covenant promises to you

Your confidence grows when you remember that God works on His own timetable. The more thankful you are the more your confidence grows

The more thankful you are the more your confidence grows

4. Covenant Clash: From Shadow to Reality (parts 1 and 2)

Because of Jesus' love, God's law is now carved into hearts and minds instead of stone tablets

The New Covenant trades shadow for reality — the Old was just a shadow of what Jesus fulfilled in His coming

5. Battlefield Covenant

God's covenant love and Holy Spirit enable us to face any battle with confidence and determination

We are soldiers of the King and Soldiers of the Cross

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God is a covenant God — never breaks His covenant. Thank God for His grace throughout the history of His people because they have been known to fail in their covenant keeping

Series Theme: As His bride, His Body, His Building, His people, let us pursue a deeper understanding of and commitment to the covenant life to which Jesus has called us.

Today the message is “Your Covenant is Your Testimony.” What is a testimony?

A testimony is a statement for the purpose of establishing or recording truth. Testimonies that do otherwise are false - Lexham Theological Wordbook

As people of God, our testimony will show itself in many ways: the consistency of our lives (practice what we preach), the way we treat one another, the way we keep commitments, the words that come out of our mouths, etc.

Today we will look at a very important area that can either make or break our testimony: It is the area of finances, giving, faithfulness, tithing, etc.

Matthew 6:19–21 NIV

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Prayer

Big Idea

Your true treasure reveals your true heart

Transitional: Because we are covenant people we should have a unique perspective regarding wealth

Covenant People Have a Unique Perspective Regarding Wealth

James called out the wealthy land owners for their greed and cruelty toward the poor working people (almost like indentured servants…they really had no voice).

James 5:1–6 NIV

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

So James…tell us how you really feel.

All through the Old Testament, God regularly calls people out for being cruel and greedy, taking advantage of the poor among them. He judges them harshly.

What is your perspective on wealth? Are all rich people ungodly? Are all poor people Godly? We know that is not true. The reality is: there are ungodly and godly poor as well as ungodly rich and godly rich.

Mark 10:23 NIV

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Ungodly Poor

Proverbs 21:25 The Message

Lazy people finally die of hunger because they won’t get up and go to work.

Lazy - Nobody admits to being lazy

Laziness and greed are a bad combination…always looking for an angle or a way to cheat the system — or a get rich quick scheme: some way to get rich without working.

Ungodly poor are foolish

Proverbs 28:19 NIV

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.

Proverbs 2

Example: playing the lottery (last dollar - foolish)

Stubborn - tunnel vision

Proverbs 13:18 NIV

Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Godly Poor

Some teach that if you are poor there is something wrong in your life and you need to get right with God

Jesus was poor! I think we can agree that Jesus was and is Godly — He is God in the flesh. If being good guaranteed riches, Jesus would have been the richest person in history

Most of the Disciples were poor

Most people in the early church were very poor

Remember this: God will take care of His people

Proverbs 22:22–23 NIV

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will exact life for life.

God uses His people (poor or rich) for great purposes — he can change the lives of multitudes through godly poor people

In some countries, poor people don’t have a chance to change their status because of the system they live under…

You won’t be poor forever

Luke 6:20–21 NIV

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

...what is the perspective of wealth for the...

Ungodly Rich

Pharoah, King Herod, rich young ruler

, , and

Summarize

People hoard riches and possessions — but the thing is, it will all fade away. Then what will they have as they enter eternity?

Greedy ambition leads to all kinds of excesses…destroys individuals and families. It’s like an addiction b/c they are not willing to give it up.

Godly Rich

Abraham, King David, Joseph of Arimathea, etc.

They do not obsess about possessions - view them as blessings from God and use them to honor Him and help others

They invest in God’s work and the spreading of the Gospel

Application

Which category are you in?

If you make over 32k (household) a year you belong to the top 1% of earners in the world

The reason we don’t feel rich is because we lack perspective

Illustration: Imagine with me — I have the ability to beam someone right into my house. How would a man from the worst part of the worst 3rd world country in the world react?

Fridge: “where we keep our food cool, so we can use it all week?”

Cabinets: “What are these?” --- where we keep our extra food

Show him around the house — and here is our restroom — “Oh, that is where you sleep? Nice!” No....it is where we go to relieve ourselves “Where I’m from we have a hole in the ground”

Reminder: God’s perspective on wealth is not how our culture sees it — do you want His perspective or the world’s?

Transitional: Because we are covenant people we should have a unique perspective regarding stewardship

Covenant People Have a Unique Perspective Regarding Stewardship

What is stewardship?

The careful and responsible management of someone else’s possessions that have been entrusted to your care

Everyone is a steward — are you a good steward or a bad steward?

Reminder: Stewardship is not just about money. Everything we have is a gift from God…just like Adam and Eve were supposed to care for the garden, so should we care for the good things He has allowed us to have:

Life itself — Health

Family — Do we treat them like a treasure?

Time, Talent, Treasure

The physical world around us

You name it....everything

…as covenant people our perspective regarding stewardship reminds us that:

Everything we have is a blessing from God

Job 41:11 NIV

Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Haggai 2:8 NIV

‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.

A tenth belongs to God

But God wants your heart before you offer Him anything else

Genesis 14:19–20 NIV

and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

In , you can read the story of when Abraham met the priest Melchizedek and gave him a tenth of everything

God comes first

Illustration: When you get a birthday cake and have friends all around, they sing happy birthday…you blow out the candles, and someone cuts the cake? Who gets the first piece? Birthday boy! If all your friends got their cake first, you might not even get any. You come first on your birthday! God should come first every day and in every way in our lives

Proverbs 3:9 NIV

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

Everyt

Covenant people of God understand — He comes first.

But so often we say, in essence (we don’t literally say it): “God, after I do everything I need to do…you can have what’s left

Phone bill, gas, groceries, movies, lights, water, new shoes, new toys,

First place is God’s

BIG ILLUSTRATION - Rob Ketterling & Ryan Visconte

BIG ILLUSTRATION

EVERYTHING IS GOD’S

What is first fruits? The first of what you make

If you were a farmer and

Let’s think of it in agricultural terms — farmers feed the world

(they start bringing out stuff now) BEGIN WITH POTATOES

First fruits — Hmmm, okay Lord, I’m giving you my first bag of potatoes

He let’s me keep the rest — He gets 1, I get to keep 9!

Talk about these principles as each items is brought out

God’s leaves us 90% to live on — We serve a good and wise God that loves us so much

But Pastor — it is really hard to let go of that 10%

By world standards — we are all wealthy. 90% in America represents a good living…it may not feel that way, but that’s because of the perspective we have. Think about the world

Here’s a good piece of advice for all of us — Just live according to your means!!

This table is overflowing with goodness

Stop spending your money in ways to impress people you don’t even know that don’t even care

This table is overflowing with goodness

This table is what belongs to God

He lets us hold on to so much!!

If you feel like you don’t have enough - its probably not because of a money problem. Its a spending problem — Ryan Visconte

Malachi 3:7–11 NIV

Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.

Storehouse: The Temple/the local church

Test me in this — “Go ahead, make my day!”

“Return to me”

They had strayed —

He could have said, “Return to me by singing more powerful worship songs, or by teaching classes, or by mowing the church yard, or by coming to church regularly without fail”

No! He said “Return to me by bringing the full tithe into the storehouse that my barns may be full!”

....then I will...

Why did God focus on tithe when calling them back from their backslidden state?

When your heart is after God’s heart, tithing is a representation of your life and you naturally want to surrender everything to God and follow His instructions

OUR COVENANT IS OUR TESTIMONY!

If we take from God’s table so we can save what’s on ours…God says “you are robbing me…why would you do that?”

God’s says “when you bring in the tithe I will protect you from the devourer” (disease, bugs, pests, etc.)

You will prosper and be blessed

What is the devourer today?

…a roaring lion…looking for someone to devour

Sinfulness is also a devourer

Before we knew Jesus, some of us made some very foolish choices — very costly…and the devourer showed up

Drinking - DUI (it costs us --- take some of the stuff off the table)

Fines

Lost friends and family

broken marriage

But God protects us from the devourer if we put Him first

“I will protect you…but guess what? I will also bless you when you put me first”

Even though he has already blessed us with this 90%, He loves us so much that he says “I will open up the windows of Heaven for you and pour out so much blessing that you can’t even contain it”

He gives us supernatural blessings…beyond our ability to grasp

Do you want that in your life?

Matthew 6:20 NIV

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

CHALLENGE

What are some of the barriers we face when trying to get our stuff from our table to God’s table?

CHALLENGE

FEAR

GREED — It’s mine..............My Precious!

REBELLION — If God’s not Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all!

Has anyone here ever been to the funeral of an American that starved to death?

“That’s too bad that Joe died! What happened to Him?”

“Oh man…you didn’t hear? Joe tithed himself to death!”

Pastor…10% is impossible, can’t I do just a little less? How about 5%?

No! What did the Lord say? Bring in the full tithe?

God’s doesn’t want half your heart — he wants the whole thing

Surrendering in the area of finances will enable you to surrender your whole self to God more and more

GREED

“It’s mine!” I worked very hard for that!”

James 5:3 NIV

Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

What would happen if every American Christian Tithed?

REBELLION

I get it pastor…you don’t have to beat a dead horse! But I’m just not doing it.”

God’s saying “Return to me — I will protect you and bless you!”

Jesus is our Master, Ruler, King — He calls out to us “follow me!”

But sometimes we hold back — I’ll give you this, but not this!

Not just about money…about everything in your life

If He’s not Lord of all…He’s not Lord at all

What would happen if every American Christian Tithed?

An extra 165 billion dollars to reach the lost for Christ

The careful and responsible management of someone else’s possessions that have been entrusted to your care

30 billion would end world hunger & deaths caused by preventable diseases

15 billion would provide sanitation and drinking water for all that do not have it

12 billion would eliminate illiteracy

1 billion would fully fund overseas missions’ work

100 billion left over to minister in so many ways to so many people

No wonder the enemy fights us so much in this area

God is calling us to surrender everything to Him

God is calling us to surrender everything to Hiim

2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

As we become more excited and joyful about giving — God will give us the grace and provision to do more

When we truly have a desire to give more — God will meet us there and make a way

Tithing and over and above giving is a heart thing!

Where your treasure is…there is your heart

Money is definitely a heart issue

Emotions - fear, uncertainty, etc.

Our giving reflects the condition of our heart -in a very real way, it shows how we feel about Jesus

How is your heart today?

What does your treasure say about your testimony?

Actions speak louder than words

If you hear the testimony of people that have learned the joy and freedom of obeying God with their finances, you will hear how God has taken care of them, met their needs, and blessed them in many other ways

Because it is a heart issue ---

Not just about finances…

But how we handle tithing, giving, spending, etc. ultimately reflects what’s going on in our heart