Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Part 2

azrocca1

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Last week we began a discussion about

“Why we should tithe?”

We looked at three reasons

Its Biblical and taught in both Old and New Testaments

Its Logical - it just makes sense for the sustaining of the church and ministry

Its Healthy because it molds our spiritual growth

We ended last week knowing that the RED FLAG of refusal to surrender exists in many of our lives in this area!

We surrender our hearts to Jesus, but stand in defiance to his word like cities under siege unwilling to surrender.

We talked about how even though we give Christ our soul, talents and time, marriage, relationships and children - but came to recognize if we

DON’T GET THE MONEY THING DOWN then there will always be a part of our lives un-surrendered to God.

(PUT UP THE WHITE FLAG ALONE)

This morning I want to talk about taking steps toward living a life in surrender to GOD, and replacing the RED FLAG — with ONLY THE WHITE FLAG in our lives!

I know the concept seems tough - - it seems like a lot to take on at the beginning...

(see if Araceli will testify)

The key is to figure out a way to honor God and ease in the water at the same time.

Realize the good news is that God is willing to mee you half way to build your faith and prove that you can trust HIM in this TITHING THING.

Malachi 3:10 NLT

10 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!

I believe for those who have resisted in this area that if step toward God, He will step toward you and build your faith one step at a time.

James 4:8 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

So, let’s look at 4 practical ways to “TEST GOD in THIS” over the next 30 days!

So, let’s take some steps!!!

Scripture also speaks of this, even in the area of money...

Luke 16:10 NLT

10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

It is ok to start small, as the Lord begins the work...

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

Exodus 23:30 NLT

30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land.

Let me present a simple plan that has 4 EASY Steps of

Obedience

Sacfifice

Faith

Thanksgiving

1. STEP ONE: OBEDIENCE

Every act of moving forward with God, every first step is one of obedience to HIS WORD!

Our first baby step is going to be to OBEY the Lord and affirm HIS expectations of us while we decide to cooperate even if we don’t fully understand how it all works.

Proverbs 3:9 NLT

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.

Malachi 3:10 NLT

ILLUSTRATION:

Prop up ten apples - they symbolize the generosity of GOD and how he has given us much.

family, children, wife, parents

food, clothing, housing, car and assets

gifts and abilities, talents and temperaments

Job, career, opportunities

out of all these things, he only asks us to give him 1 in ten apples back --

This is a small portion of what we earn and possess to honor Him for providing for us.

(Take the one apple)

To get started to trust God and obey Him I am asking for you to take just 25% of that 1 apple out of ten and give it to him!

(cut the apple in half and quarter one half)

So let’s do this for a moment:

Write down what you earn a month

(i.e. 0 $4000)

10% of that would be $400

25% of that would be $100

So to start - your first week (which I am suggesting you begin today) would be just $100 or whatever 25% of 10% of your monthly income is.

There are other areas of your life where we aco on obedience alone ---

Some examples are....

you don’t leave a store without paying for merchandise

you don’t take advantage of elderly people

we don’t steal from others

SO, let’s not procrastinate, but write the check or give today online (or text to give) so your see of faithful obedience is in the past where it needs to be.

PLANT SEEDS OF OBEDIENCE

Now you are already at your 25% goal!!!!

2. STEP 2 is SACRIFICE

The second step involves creating a financial margin in your life through sacrifice!

We mentioned last week David’s statement…

2 Samuel 24:24 NLT

24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

How does that work, we are going to find something in our lives or budget that we can CUT OUT that is equal to the next 25% so we can give our second 25% bringing us up to half.

Using that same $4000 figure - that would be cutting out $100 of spending somewhere to offer that up to Jesus as a sacrifice.

Here are some ways to reduce expenses:

$35 by not eating out at a restaurant just once this month (if it a whole family that could easily be $60 in today’s economy)

$20 by not going to the coffee shop once a week (for two people)

$25 for two people to not go out to the movies, ordering a video or going to a game

$25 on dry cleaning

$50 not buying snacks or unnecessary groceries

$40 by packing a lunch a day a week

$20 by downsizing your cable TV plan

$75 a month by watching TV from your laptop

$50 to get rid of a landline

At the end of service we are going to hand out the notes for today with Scripture, and in that will be listed 30 ways to cut your monthly expenses to EMPOWER YOU TO TITHE!

Once you have made a gift of obedience and then made a sacrifice - you are already half way to your goal of tithing completely!!!!

3. STEP 3 is FAITH

The next quarter of your tithe is going to come from a step of faith (third week)

FAITH does not mean doing something crazy!!!!

Ask God to provide a ay for you to be faithful to what HE is ASKING you to do!

Hebrews 11:6 NLT

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Here is a practical way to put FAITH INTO REALITY IN YOUR LIFE!

The Bible defines FAITH this way...

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 The Message

1 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.

This means to begin to pray that God will provide for you to make the next quarter of your monthly tithe

GOd will answer, be sure to keep a keen eye out for His provision - it may come in a savings, a provision, a gift, something that you thought would need an expensive repair that ends up needing nothing. It could be a rebate, refund, discount or gift card!

There are thousands of ways our creative God supplies for our needs - we need to be faithful to reallocate those things toward our goal!!!

You have been obedient

You have found an area to sacrifice

You have seen God provide

YOU ARE NOW AT 75% of your goal!

4. STEP 4 is THANKSGIVING

After you have followed the first three steps for 30 days, I want you to wait until the last day of your 30 day test ---

Now look back...

Has God provided for all your basic needs?

Have you gone through the past 30 days without seeing God’s grace , provision and goodness...

If you can look back after thirty days and see that God has provided for all your NEEDS, I want you to take the last step and write a check of THANKSGIVING for the remaining 25% of your tithes!

Thankfulness is actually a great reason to give!!!

In the Old Testament one of the categories of special offerings in the OT was the “THANKSGIVING OFFERING” to express appreciation to God

Psalm 107:22 NLT

22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Some of the reasons people gave thanksgiving offerings:

for returning safely from a long trip

for being released from captivity

recovering fro a serious injury or illness

after experiencing God’s provision

CONCLUSION

SO these are 4 steps to wade into the waters of tithing and step into surrender to the LORD!

25% obedience - because we know its right

25% sacrifice - by cutting fat out of our budget

25% faith - trusting God to provide

25% thanksgiving - because you are grateful to God

This morning I want to do something a little different - I want the greeters to bing the bags to the front of the church so we can worship with our giving by bringing our gifts to the altar. If you are paying online or by text to give - also come forward and just wave your phone over the offering bag or press send at the altar - come even if your not giving or have already given and just give some praise to Jesus if you have already given and walk by....

Let us embark on the next 30 days to ease into the waters of BIBLICAL stewardship and find out how serious GOD is when HE SAYS...