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You know what separates a lot of people from God, money
money separates a lot of
people from God. Paul puts it this way, the love of money is the root
up all kinds of evils, that you don't want to support
you thought it was doctrine, you thought it was the church, you thought it was a
prick ritz
yeah, those things may play a role the biggest issue is money
it separates people from God
and God says if you don't give
me what belongs to me, you're stealing
that's howheavy words, I don't want God to call me a thief
I don't know about you, I dont want anybody to call me a thief.
Years ago, I was about 23 24 years old
I went to visit this church in brooklyn This
man was a master preacher I just wanted to sit here. The scholar
spoke like seven eight languages fluently, the right
diction, and even when he spoke Englishit sounded so regal
he spoke rather like this
"and that morning, when I was there he was standing behind the desk,
sacred desk". Oh yes, I got the accent down just right
and he had big eyes,and when he spoke he'd emphasize
things in his eyes and opened wide and he got to do the exhortation on giving
he said: " ladies and gentlemen, today I want to talk to you about
the gift-giving, giving God
your tithe which is holy. You see the suit I'm wearing?"
and he stood, came from behind the desk
"Do you see the suit I'm wearing, it is rather dapper,
is it not? I think we'd all agree that the suit looks
handsome, looks nice,I look good, don't I?
"Well, since i am biblicist" His eyes were up
Since I'm a biblicist, I believe the Scripture I am to tithe
on this suit, the scripture says, the man ought to give ten percent of all he earns
certainly I tithe on my salary but this gift given to me by one of the wealthier men
in our congregation as a sign of his love
I, as a bibliicist, tithe on this suit
Today, I'm prepared to give the Lord 10 percent of the value of the suit
Now some of you are sitting, looking at me. you're dressed in your sunday garments
and you look
rather nice, look pretty but because I called you a
thief from the scriptures when you don't tithe Some of you, you're wearing your tithes. You are
a pretty thief but a thief
nonetheless because I called you a thief not I but the scriptures, I simply
responded to the text I called you a thief
because the texts calls a thief, you now are angry with me
not only you are a pretty face thief, you're an angry thief
and he called him a thief in French
Italian German Latin
Spanish Greek Hebrew
He said:"you're a thief globally"
the idea is that
what the tithe represents
is just 10 percent
of what we earn and it is
an acknowledgement that
God owns everything
and I acknowledge it.
I was in South Africa a couple years ago and they said to me
pastor, pastor, pastor, do you know what they did in
in Nigeria, what happened. I said :"No" In Nigeria, this thief got on the bus
took out a gun and said "stick them up it's a robbery" pulled the bus over
Bus driver pulls the bus over and said "everybody off the bus"
he said: "All of you who are tithers, stand on my right"
handful of people stand on their right "everybody else you're just like me
you're a thief, put everything into the basket
tithers, keep your money" . Whether it happened or not
it is not the issue but it does bring out the point
but I want us to go back to this basic place, I don't want to get uncomfortable
come on today's Super Bowl Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday
come on Super Bowl Sunday, don't get uncomfortable
This is to be happy, you gonna go home and have snacks and pig out
let's talk about tithing now later on you pig out
I want you to think about this whole idea
that the Lord
He wants your heart
and the best way to get your heart
right off the bat, is to say
share with me a portion of what you earn
when you do that
it connects us in financial partnership
when you do that, it keeps your heart
soft
cause what I value, you value
share with a portion of what you earn because when you do that
it's going to be a block
a vest, a barrier
a barricade against materialism
your protect your mind your heart from the encroaching
greed that takes place, every encroaching
every growing greed that takes place in our society
where we just have to have more more MORE
I need all the toys, you wanna protect your heartmy mind your soul from that?
keep connected with me with tithing
it helps you to realize
you're not of this world
if the world is greater that is yet to come
the values of this world are not yours
your value transform lives, ministry to people
Jesus intersecting lives that were held bound
turning them around heavenward, you are part of that great big plan
when you tithe, keep that focus in front of you
tiny thing helps you to keep the main things
the main things