WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:03.960 Father, we thank you that you're here right now, and 2 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:07.679 that you've drawn us to yourself. And it's for freedom 3 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:11.599 that you've set us free. It's for freedom that you've 4 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:16.920 set us free. We thank you that you are present 5 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:20.519 in our midst with the testimony of the Kingdom of Heaven. 6 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:25.960 Ignite our hearts this morning with partnerships with you like 7 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.320 we've never tasted of. We thank you for it in 8 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:36.079 Jesus' name. And everybody said, amen, I want to start 9 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.600 out of one of our favorites. If you're a preacher, 10 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:42.280 any preachers in the building, I want to start with 11 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.479 one of our favorites. Malachi chapter three seven through twelve. 12 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.640 This is where we wax eloquent and mutual, older pieces 13 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:57.679 with scriptures on tithes and offerings. Everybody, everybody's still happy. 14 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:01.920 Turn to me and I will return to you, says 15 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.840 the Lord of Hosts. But you say, how shall we return? 16 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.719 And he says, in tithes and offerings. Everybody say, tithes 17 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:16.000 and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you 18 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:20.079 are robbing me, and theoy say, robbing the whole nation 19 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.959 of you. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. I 20 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:25.439 like that I don't know why he said that, but 21 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:28.040 that's good. Bring the whole tithe, not the partial tithe. 22 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:31.159 I mean the tithe means ten percent, right, don't bring 23 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:35.840 nine percent of the ten. Please please have alread eight 24 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:37.599 percent of the ten. Let's go ahead and bring the 25 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:40.799 whole tithe in, right. I like that. That's just good. 26 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:44.519 He's just he's so good. Bring the whole tithe into 27 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:48.159 the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. 28 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:53.560 And test me, everybody, say, test me, test me in this. 29 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:55.599 Put me to the test. He's saying, put me to 30 00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:58.599 the test. If I will not open for you the 31 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.040 windows of Heaven, let's say, open the windows of Evan 32 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.959 and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. No, 33 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.800 I don't know. This is like the New American. We've 34 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:12.080 got the NIV up in the Daily Whopper, and the 35 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.960 NIV says, open the windows of even and pour out 36 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.039 for you a blessing until it overflows. Oh you changed it? 37 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:26.840 Oh okay. So the NIV says, until there's more than 38 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:31.919 enough something like then then I will rebuke everybody, say 39 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:35.719 I okay. So then he says he will rebuke the 40 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:40.159 DeVore for you. And sometimes I think that means he's 41 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:46.400 also present in your rebuke. If you would like him 42 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.280 to be absent in your rebuke, don't tie it. Then 43 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.439 it's easy solve that. But if you want him present 44 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:59.159 in your rebuke, go ahead and tie them. It's a 45 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:04.319 good thing. I can tell you're excited already. Then I 46 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:07.439 will rebuke the devour for you, so that it will 47 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:10.080 not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor your vine 48 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.840 in the field cast its grape, says the Lord of Hosts. 49 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:17.599 All the nations will call you blessed. By the way, 50 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:25.000 aren't we a new nation? Yes, you're not sure we 51 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.639 are a new nation. Okay, we're a nation. By the way, 52 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:32.400 we're a nation of nations. All the nations will call 53 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:35.759 you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says 54 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:40.840 the Lord of Hosts. Okay, so the biblical tithe, the 55 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:47.000 biblical tithe is ten percent, right, so ten percent? The 56 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:52.039 word tithe means ten percent. Yeah, so it means a tenth. 57 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:55.199 So a biblical tithe is ten percent, and it's ten 58 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:59.439 percent of your increase. How do you spell encrees? Why 59 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.919 are we need help here? Already? We're just barely starting. 60 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:07.400 So it's ten percent of your increase. That's a biblical tide. Yeah, 61 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.439 And what's going on here? And I can read you 62 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.759 a little verse previous to we'll just read a little 63 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:21.519 verse previous. But Malachi is the last prophetic book before 64 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:28.879 we have a break and then comes Jesus, right, then 65 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:32.480 comes the New Testament books. So Malachi is the last 66 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.839 of the Old Testament books. He's the last prophetic voice, 67 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:42.959 and he's coming with a rebuke. And Israel has fallen away. 68 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.399 There's been a falling away, right, the Jewish people have 69 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:49.240 fallen away, and so he's coming with a rebuke. And 70 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:54.040 it's really the heart of God saying I also don't 71 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:58.000 want to I don't want to pour out wrath upon you. 72 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:01.439 I want you to draw near. So there's actually kind 73 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:05.879 of a there's covenant lawsuit language in the Book of Malachi, 74 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:10.439 and it's almost like the preceding or the beginnings of 75 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:16.199 divorce terminology. So this is what we're hearing a little 76 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:20.399 bit in Malachi is the proceedings of a divorce. And 77 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.439 fact is in the n I V. Which is more 78 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:28.680 simple vernacular, it actually says in verse what versus this 79 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:41.120 verse this is? This is chapter three and verse four 80 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:48.759 because of it, they get lost, pray for the pastor 81 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:53.920 it suddenly flipped the chapter three. These are electronic devices. 82 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.360 Bless them, Bless the Lord. Uh the verse three of 83 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.120 chapter three, So I will come and put you on trial. 84 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:06.879 So I will come and put you on trial. I 85 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:11.279 will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulters, perjurers, against 86 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:17.040 those who defraud the labors of their wages, who oppress 87 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:21.439 the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among 88 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:26.000 you of justice. This is interesting. So this is some 89 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:29.920 of the terminology of chapter three. This would actually be 90 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:36.480 the terminology of Covenant Lawsuit number one. Covenant Lawsuit number 91 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:40.120 one is the way you're dealing with one another. Covenant 92 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:43.879 Lawsuit number two in this passage is going to be 93 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.439 this thing about returning to me and returning with tithes 94 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:51.439 and offerings. Return to me, and I will return to you. 95 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:55.199 Ever since, he says in the verse proceedings of verse six, 96 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:58.399 verse seven, ever since the time of your ancestors, you've 97 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:02.079 turned away from my decrees and up them. Return to me, 98 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.720 and I will return to you, says the Lord. But 99 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:12.000 you ask how do we return? And he doesn't say 100 00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:15.279 something we would think he might say. He says, return 101 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:20.199 with your money. He says, we return. You're robbing me, 102 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:24.959 return with your money? How are we robbing you in 103 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:28.040 tithes and offerings? So this is interesting. Now. The reason 104 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:33.040 that he considers this a robbery is because the tithe 105 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:41.079 belongs to him. Everybody say, the tithe belongs to him. Oh, 106 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:42.959 I just made you something. I made you say something 107 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.759 you didn't want to say. But isn't that tricky? How 108 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.959 the pastor does this stuff? Levitic is twenty seven point 109 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.120 thirty a tithe of everything from the land, whether grain 110 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:56.399 or from the soil, or fruit from the trees. It 111 00:07:56.519 --> 00:08:01.639 belongs to the lord. It is the lord. So this 112 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:04.680 is kind of an interesting thing. He says, return to me, 113 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:07.800 and he says, you know, don't rob me, and bring it. 114 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:10.639 And he's naming the tithe and the offering. And we 115 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:12.959 know that the tithe belongs to him. It doesn't belong 116 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.800 to us. It's not mine. That means I can't determine 117 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:19.839 where it goes even and it shouldn't render me a 118 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:23.399 benefit when I give it away, And it isn't something 119 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:29.040 when I release it. It actually is connected to services 120 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:33.559 rendered right, Well, I got counseling this week at the church. 121 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:35.240 I guess you should give a little bit. You know, 122 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:38.919 it's not for goods and service, it's not. It's actually 123 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:43.360 what Frank was talking about. It's actually because you're under 124 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:49.720 recovering and you've been brought into this covering in God. 125 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:56.879 So therefore you're partnering with him and you recognize that 126 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:00.480 he's brought you into salvation and all that you have 127 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:05.200 is because of him, and so you render unto him 128 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:12.559 this tenth part, which he says is his. That's a tithe. 129 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.440 Right now, some people say, you know, we're not under 130 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:18.639 the tithe anymore, we're under grace. You know, the tie 131 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:22.519 that's of the law, that's legalistic, But it started before 132 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.919 four hundred and thirty years before the law was given, 133 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:32.559 Abraham was tithing. And then before that, we look even 134 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:37.240 further before that and we see that Cain and Abel 135 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:40.000 actually their thing was all about a tie. It was 136 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.120 all about a tithe. And then if we look further 137 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:45.440 into that, I actually think that the tithe started in 138 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:50.519 the garden because God said, of the tree, this is mine. 139 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:54.200 Don't eat of this one because this one is mine. 140 00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:00.759 So there's this whole thing always with increase, with produce, 141 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:07.480 with blessing that when we're gods, we recognize that ten 142 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.200 percent belongs to God. So and then further in scripture, 143 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:14.279 it's kind of crazy, he says, you know, somewhat to 144 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:16.200 prove that it's his, he says that if you want 145 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:19.240 to hang on to it, you owe twenty percent interest 146 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:23.159 on it. So so actually, I'm going, if we're really 147 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.039 biblically and looking at the Bible, if you hang on 148 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:27.919 to your tithe for a month because you need it 149 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:30.519 for a little bit of investment, you can hang on 150 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.639 to one thousand dollars for a month. But just remember 151 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.440 he would like twenty percent interest on what you don't 152 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.679 give him when it first comes in, because he calls 153 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:46.919 it a first fruit first for me, as you're actually 154 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:59.720 supposed to give him that ten percent first, not second. Okay, 155 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.759 And we just have to recognize that this is the 156 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:10.080 key to partnering with God economically, but even more, even 157 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:13.480 more than partnering with God economically. But this is a 158 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.240 major key. Now he brings up two things, and he 159 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:18.799 goes on in this covenant lawsuit in chapter three, he 160 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:23.559 says there's another issue too. He says that your words 161 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.840 are also a problem. And I'm looking at my time 162 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:31.799 and I'm already out of time. But he says, your 163 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:35.840 words are a problem as well. He says, oh, by 164 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:39.919 the way, you've also spoken arrogantly against me. This is 165 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.159 verse thirteen, says the Lord. And you say, what in 166 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:44.600 the world have we said? And he says this, you 167 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:49.200 have said that it's feudal to serve God, or it 168 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:52.720 is in vain that we serve God, or what gain 169 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:59.759 do we receive by carrying out his requirements. So actually 170 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:03.120 there's a whole portion of the body of Christ today 171 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:08.399 kind of this anti prosperity portion who will tell you 172 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:13.480 that it's improper for you to believe that serving God 173 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:20.440 will render blessing. But actually Hebrews eleven says that it's 174 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.200 the second key to actually having a right walk with 175 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:26.440 God is first you believe that he is and then 176 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:29.960 you believe that He is the rewarder of those who 177 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:34.559 diligently seek him. So you can serve a God that's 178 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:37.360 not a rewarder if you'd like to. But actually he 179 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.159 doesn't even want you to serve a God that's not 180 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:43.240 a rewarder. And if you serve a God that's not 181 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.840 a rewarder. Then you're going to be constantly tempted to 182 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:48.039 lean into the arm of your flesh, and you're going 183 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:54.960 to be giving all of your glory to yourself. Hello, somebody, 184 00:12:55.159 --> 00:12:59.200 So this we're having fun. Let's get delivered as we go. 185 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.480 So he says there's two robberies going on. The second 186 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.480 robbery that he talks about is the robbery of the offering. 187 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:11.159 And we rarely talk about offerings here that we take 188 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:17.320 them all the time. We're professional offering takers, but we're 189 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:21.279 terrible offering talkers. And so today I thought it'd be 190 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:23.399 good to talk about the offering a little bit because 191 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:26.440 this is the second robbery that he mentions here. But 192 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:29.159 it's the second thing more important than a robbery is 193 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:33.240 it's the second key to opening the windows of heaven 194 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:37.279 over your life. And I think some of us don't 195 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:40.960 have the windows of heaven over our lives because we 196 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:44.200 don't understand what an offering is. And one thing we 197 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.360 have to understand an offering is an offering is giving 198 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:54.639 under God something beyond your tithe So the windows of 199 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:59.000 heaven are open, and what's poured out through the windows 200 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:04.480 of heaven is not determined by your tithe, because your 201 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:07.360 tithe belongs to him. You're just returning what belongs to him. 202 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:15.960 It's determined by your offering. And so what happens is 203 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:21.279 many times in America and in Western church, western culture, 204 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:26.200 most of us barely tithed. Most Christians barely tithed. So 205 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.200 I think the number, don't quote me. Barnic could tell you. 206 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:31.840 You could look it up on Barna Research Group would 207 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.480 probably tell you that, you know, maybe three or ten 208 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:41.080 percent of Christians across this nation actually tithed. Now, the 209 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.159 other thing you have to remember is that the tithe 210 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.600 is for the levites, meaning the tithe is meant for 211 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:50.080 those who care for the house. It isn't meant to 212 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:52.679 pay for the house. It's meant for those who care 213 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.200 for the house. God has another method to pay for 214 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:58.000 the house, and it's not through the tithe. If we 215 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.639 paid for the house with the money that's supposed to 216 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:03.840 go to those who care for the house, then those 217 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:07.480 who are supposed to care for the house don't. They 218 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:11.240 can't support their families well enough, and we don't have 219 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:14.120 enough of them to care for the house well or 220 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:15.919 to care for the ministry of the house. Because we're 221 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:19.840 taking what belongs to the Levites or in this case, 222 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:28.120 the Melkezedic priesthood, which the Melkezdic priesthood is the fulfillment 223 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:32.159 of what Levite looked like. And so we start with 224 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:35.679 the Melkesidic priesthood, and Genesis fourteen we move into the 225 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:39.360 levitical under Aaron, and then we come back into the 226 00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:44.080 Melkezedic priesthood. But there's still sons and daughters of ministry 227 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:47.200 under the Melkezdic priesthood who serve in the type of 228 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:52.759 Levite over the house. Are you following me? Oh boy? 229 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:56.799 This is this too deep? All right? So Genesis fourteen, 230 00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:01.000 we've got Genesis fourteen, we start with the melkes priesthood. 231 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:11.120 Then we go into the Levitical priesthood, right, and that's 232 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.840 through I don't want to get into that, and it's 233 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:20.159 way too long. And then and then through Christ, the 234 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:23.600 Melchzidic priesthood is restored. And I'll just put up here 235 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:29.399 Hebrews seven. Okay, we'll just leave that there, all right. 236 00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:38.039 So I'm getting way too deep, But so you with 237 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:43.440 me so far. The reason I say this is because 238 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:47.840 what happens is we're expecting the windows of heaven to 239 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:49.360 be opened to our life. And by the way, the 240 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.039 windows of heaven is not the winds of money. It's 241 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:55.960 the windows of favor, the windows of promise, the windows 242 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.200 of breakthrough, the windows of wisdom, the windows of opportunity. 243 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:04.680 It's not the windows of money. He's not opening windows 244 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:07.599 of money and shoving money down on you. He's shoveling 245 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:11.839 down on you opportunity. Deuteronomy at eighteen. Remember the Lord 246 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:16.240 your God. He gives you the power to create wealth. 247 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:20.079 He makes you a creative being and a wealth creator. 248 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:23.599 But then offerings fit into this as well. And offerings 249 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:29.000 are important. And it's because the tithe is for the leavite. 250 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.680 So when you tie Angela can eat, Frank can eat, 251 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.319 Dwen can eat, Juel can eat, We can pay our bills. 252 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.440 Did you know that seventy five percent of churches in 253 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:43.079 America the pastors are by vocational. The churches are bi 254 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.960 vocational because they have to be. The pastors have a calling, 255 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:51.240 But the people won't tithe. And by the time they 256 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:54.000 take the money out for the buildings and the heat 257 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.920 build You know, our irrigation bill during the summer is 258 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:03.359 one thousand dollars a month I'm not teaching or preaching 259 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:08.359 on this because we're running out of money, by the way, 260 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:10.960 so I'm just trying to get more blessing to you 261 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.519 and more understanding. And if you don't have understanding and blessing, 262 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.119 then my people perish or they fall short of the 263 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:19.839 goodness of God because of a lack of knowledge. Wassea 264 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:29.079 four to six, right. So there's reasons for offerings, and 265 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.680 let's just touch on those a little bit. And there 266 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:35.200 are different kinds of offerings. One of them is to 267 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:39.000 build the house. So one of the reasons is to 268 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:42.640 build the house of God. Exodus chapter twenty five one 269 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:46.200 through two. Now, what happened coming into Exodus chapter twenty 270 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:49.440 five one through two. What happened is the children of 271 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:53.519 Israel are coming out of Egypt, and God says to them, 272 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.799 let's do a Jehovah sneaky thing. Let's plunder all of 273 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.440 the Egyptians. So they go to their neighbors and they 274 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:06.240 ask for all their gold, silver, bronze, jewelry coins, what 275 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:09.200 have you, right, And so they plunder them as they 276 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:13.000 come out, and as they come out, then they're wealthy. 277 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:17.920 And then God says not to tieth on that. But 278 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.839 God says, I want you to bring an offering out 279 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:23.440 of that. So this is the first instance of this 280 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:27.440 kind of an offering, and it's to build the Tabernacle. 281 00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:32.519 And so this becomes a precedent through scripture, is that 282 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:36.400 God's not going to take money from the Levite or 283 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:40.519 the leadership or those who care for the flock to 284 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:42.759 build the building. He's going to ask the people to 285 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:46.559 give above the tithe and then he's going to promise 286 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:51.640 them tremendous blessings if they partner with Him to the 287 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.720 degree that they desire to in their own heart. So 288 00:19:55.759 --> 00:20:00.240 then it becomes a free will offering. King James, those 289 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.119 kinds of words. We'll read that Exodus twenty five one 290 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:06.599 or two. Then the Lord's spoke to Moses saying, tell 291 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:09.799 the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for me 292 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:15.160 from every man whose heart moves him, raise my contribution. 293 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.279 This is Exodus twenty five, and this is all to 294 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:20.799 build the Tabernacle. So God saying, this is great. You've 295 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:27.400 got all this gold, silver, bronze, copper, precious stones, jewels, jewelry. 296 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:32.240 I wonder if you could share some with me. Let's 297 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:35.240 not do it, because you have to let's do it 298 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:39.759 because you want to. Let's build a tabernacle for my name. 299 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:42.160 And so this is how the arc of the Covenant 300 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.640 got covered with gold. Is they got the gold from 301 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.319 the enemy, and then they donated the gold of free 302 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:54.319 will in a free will offering, saying, let's see, God, 303 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:59.000 you're the one that gave us the wisdom, insight, ability, grace, power, 304 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:03.319 the Jehoah a sneaky trickery. You gave us everything to 305 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:05.880 transfer all that wealth from the wicked into the righteous. 306 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:08.440 Why don't we just bring some of that and build 307 00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:10.880 a house for your name. And so they build the 308 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:13.839 tabernacle right, and it says they brought it, and they 309 00:21:13.880 --> 00:21:16.319 heaped it up until it was in heaps in such 310 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.319 a way that Moses had to say, quit bringing stuff. 311 00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:25.519 We have enough. The King James reads it this way, 312 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:28.200 and the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, speak to the 313 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:30.759 children of Israel, that they bring me an offering of 314 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:34.480 every man, and they give it willingly. So this is 315 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:37.559 where free will offering comes from. They give it willingly 316 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.759 with their heart. They bring an offering, so they shall 317 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:44.759 take my offering. And so this is God working. And 318 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:47.279 it didn't take away from the Levites. It didn't take 319 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.680 away from any ministry. This is kind of you know, 320 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:55.000 it's this reoccurring theme Ezra chapter two. They did it again. 321 00:21:55.079 --> 00:22:00.160 So first of all, they build the tabernacle. So and 322 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:02.119 this is I'm just going to put up here a 323 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.680 number one. It's for the House of God. These are offerings, 324 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.759 and even us as we start building, and it's going 325 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:13.839 to happen soon, even as us as we start building, 326 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:18.920 I don't want to take the tide and give tithe 327 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:22.799 away to the building. I want us to give freely 328 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:25.960 and to give willingly. And by the way, I think 329 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:28.839 we're going to build with cash, meaning I don't think 330 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:32.039 we're gonna need a loan. And by the way, we've 331 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.759 been saving money for a while, and the money we've 332 00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:40.079 been saving has been offerings, not tithing. So but this 333 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:41.799 is number one. This is number one. It's in a 334 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:44.599 scripture that we don't take money from those who serve 335 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:47.799 in the ministry of the House and make them eat 336 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:53.200 beans and corn or corn meal or rice crispies and 337 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:56.039 peanut butter or something. But we bless them with a 338 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:59.759 little beefsteak and let them drive cars that actually work. 339 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:06.559 This happened again when they were rebuilding. This happened again 340 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:10.039 when they were rebuilding. Everybody say rebuilding. So it happened 341 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:14.759 again with Ezra and Nehemiah as they were rebuilding after 342 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.480 they were carted off the Babylon because they were disobedient. 343 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.519 They were carted off the Babylon. They were there seventy 344 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:24.319 years in captivity. They come back and we read about 345 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:26.319 this with me and Mayah. We read about it with Ezra. 346 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:29.279 We read about you know, rububles there. All these guys 347 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:31.480 are there, and this is what Ezra says, some of 348 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:34.799 the heads of the Father's household Ezra, chapter two, verse 349 00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:37.359 sixty eight. I think we haven't. When they arrived at 350 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.880 the House of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly, 351 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:46.359 noticed the same language offered willingly. They didn't. By the way, 352 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:48.400 nobody's going to twist your arm when we have an 353 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.359 offering here. Now, we're going to build your faith. We're 354 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:54.960 going to encourage you because seed son, and that's what 355 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.160 an offering is considered biblically. Seed sown will be a 356 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:03.680 breakthrough of harvest for you. The seed that you sow 357 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:08.279 will determine what flows through and open heaven over you. 358 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:12.079 So they offered willingly for the House of God to 359 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:15.519 restore it on his foundation, according to their ability. They 360 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:17.359 gave to the treasury of the work of the Lord, 361 00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:20.480 according to their ability. In other words, with an offering, 362 00:24:20.519 --> 00:24:25.920 it's never equal gifts, it's equal sacrifice. God's not looking 363 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:28.680 for equal gifts. He's not looking at you know, this 364 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.480 person over here and another person, and oh you didn't 365 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:34.559 give the same amount. It's not equal gifts. It's equal 366 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:39.079 sacrifice that God takes note of. And so according to 367 00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:41.359 their ability, they gave to the treasury of the Word 368 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.200 sixty one thousand gold and et cetera, et cetera. And 369 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:50.920 then this happened again. When David was preparing for the 370 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:55.240 house for Solomon. Everybody say Solomon, so we get the 371 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:58.680 house for Solomon. And as David's preparing for the house 372 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:03.160 for Solomon, this happened again. And instead of David saying, Okay, 373 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.039 we're gonna take all the money that's been coming under 374 00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:08.960 the coffers for the Levites and we're gonna build the 375 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.119 House of Solomon with that, no, David says. First Chronicles, 376 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:17.599 chapter twenty nine one through six, David says about his 377 00:25:17.720 --> 00:25:21.039 son Solomon, He's the one that's chosen. But he says, 378 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:24.079 with my resources I've provided, So he names all this 379 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:29.559 stuff that he's provided with his resources, gold, silver, bronze. 380 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:33.279 But then at the end of it, he says, now, 381 00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:39.440 who else is willing to consecrate themselves for the work 382 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:43.079 of the Lord? He's asking, is there anybody else who 383 00:25:43.160 --> 00:25:46.160 will concentrate themselves for the work of the Lord. And 384 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:49.720 then the leaders of families, officers of the tribes, commanders 385 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:54.680 of thousands and hundreds, officials in charge of the work 386 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:59.480 gave willingly notice the same language. It says over and 387 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:02.640 over again every time it comes to building a house, 388 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:07.240 every time it comes to establishing the physical structure, We're 389 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:09.839 not going to take from the levites, We're not going 390 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:12.759 to take from the tithe We're going to take special 391 00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:16.880 contribution offerings. And there's going to be a blessing on that. 392 00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:19.559 There's going to be increase that comes because of that, 393 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:24.119 and we're going to see God move. So that's number one. 394 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:28.160 Number one is the building of the house. Now, another 395 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:31.599 interesting category, and we practice this here all the time, 396 00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:33.799 and I don't know if you've ever asked about it, 397 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:41.599 but there is auxiliary ministry like prophetic ministry right auxiliary ministry. 398 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:49.039 And it seems biblically speaking that these auxiliary ministries existed 399 00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:55.759 outside of the priesthood, the vitical or ironic priesthood. These 400 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:02.880 auxiliary ministries existed, and they exist on the basis of offerings, 401 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.079