Test the Lord and See… | Sunday, March 20, 2022

Welcome to Cross Connection Church online! We're so happy that you're joining us today. Before we get started, we want to let you know that if you want more information about Cross Connection Church and some of the things that we do, make sure that you check out our website at lifeandconnection.com.

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Let praise be a weapon that silences the enemy. Let praise be a weapon that conquers all anxiety. Let it rise; let praise arise. We sing Your name in the dark, and it changes everything. We'll sing with all we are, and we claim Your victory. Let it rise. We praise You!

If they'd be the song that overcomes the raging sea, let faith be the song that calms the storm inside of me. We praise You, God. We praise You.

Paul the Apostle, in his final words, wrote his last letter to a disciple named Timothy. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1, he wrote that in the last days perilous times would come. As we look at all the things happening in the world, we can see very clearly that we are living in perilous times.

Especially over the last couple of years, we experienced the chaos of everything that happened with COVID. Although it's not at the top of the news headlines and it's not on every single person's mind, as the mask mandates have been lifted in most places, especially here in Southern California, it doesn't mean that it's not still a major issue. COVID came kind of out of left field; things were seemingly going pretty well, and then suddenly, COVID emerged. The last two years have been chaotic because of it.

Now, at the beginning of 2022, we are all witnessing what's happening in the world, especially in Ukraine and with Russia. There are also other issues occurring in places like Asia, particularly concerning Taiwan, and there are questionable factors about how all of this is going to shake out. Additionally, we are facing economic issues here in the United States.

Last week, the Federal Reserve in the United States began increasing interest rates. It was just a very small increase so far, but that is certain to continue over the next few months. We see inflation and gas prices super high, and there is a lot of pressure and chaos in the world. These challenging circumstances cause people, whether they are followers of God or not, to feel concerned, stressed, and anxious.

Oftentimes, when we see these things happening, we return to passages of Scripture that encourage us to set our minds on things above and to let not our hearts be troubled. I think it is interesting to consider what Paul says in Second Timothy, chapter three. He writes that in the last days, perilous times will come, and he gives a number of indicators that will signify we are living in such times. These include people being lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and having a form of godliness but denying

The possession of God and the temple of the Holy Spirit are truly counter-cultural and challenging truths. The culture we live in esteems individual autonomy above probably every other value, making it the most important thing in our society today.

Don't get me wrong; I am as much a product of Western culture in the late 20th and 21st centuries as most of you are. I happen to like my liberties. In fact, there have been many times over the last couple of years when I have really resisted the changes happening in our culture. Many people experience the feeling of not having the same kind of liberties that they may have had 36 months ago. I am a pretty independent person, and I am sure you probably are as well. I find myself quite resistant when I feel that my liberties are being violated or infringed.

However, when I became a child of God and Christ became my Master and Lord, there are some things that invariably need to change. Specifically, my body is no longer my own; I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures say. I am not my own; I have been purchased with a price. This is exactly what we saw in the Scriptures last week. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, beginning at verse 19: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? And you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

The "therefore" in this passage, found in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 20, is very important. I have been purchased with a price; my body is not my own. As a result, I am told to glorify God in my body and in my spirit, which are God's possession. This is countercultural; it goes against the mindset, philosophy, ethos, narrative, and even the teaching of our culture. This perspective challenges just about everything in American culture and Western culture in the 21st century, especially in the United States.

America is often seen as the epicenter of cultural shifts, particularly here in California, or at least on the West Coast. In Southern California, this mindset affects every single one of us to some degree. When Jesus is my Lord and the master of my life, it means that He gets a say in what I do with my body and what I put into it. This was the focus of our discussion last week.

After that message, I had a number of interesting conversations with people. These discussions ranged from issues related to drinking alcohol and consuming sugar to partaking in marijuana, as well as concerns about pornography and gambling. We also touched on the implications of working in certain industries or jobs connected to these topics. There are many questions surrounding these issues.

This brings me back to a question I have posed to the church before, which is also the title of a book by a Christian apologist from the late 20th century named Francis Schaeffer. He wrote a book called "How Shall We Then Live?" The book covers a wide range of topics, but the question itself is crucial. As Christians, we need to ask ourselves this question frequently. It should be a regular reflection for us as children of God and followers of Christ, who is our Lord and Master.

We must consider how we shall then live, especially as our culture diverges further from a Bible- and Christianity-informed worldview. This shift is evident in our society. Many people discuss Western culture, which includes Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia, noting that these regions have historically been rooted in a Judeo-Christian worldview. However, our culture is becoming less informed by Christianity and the Bible. As a result, if you are a Christian, it is essential to navigate these changes thoughtfully.

As a follower of Christ, you're in the midst of this culture, and you have to ask yourself, how shall we then live? In a sense, we are like the exiles of the children of Israel living in Babylon during their time exiled from their promised land. They were in a carnal, pagan culture, and yet they were called by God and the prophets of God to live as the people of God in that place. That's what you need to do; that's what I need to do. How shall we then live?

Today, we're going to continue with some countercultural and challenging ideas, picking up exactly where we left off last time in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 14. We read these words in Deuteronomy 14, beginning at verse 22: "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year."

Again, these are countercultural, challenging truths that we're going to be reading in this passage, which are for the people of God, the children of God. For some of you, you may have had a triggering shock of terror when you heard me mention the word "tithing." In your mind, you might be thinking, "Oh great, here we go; the pastor is going to talk about money." I somewhat understand that response because there is a perception among many people, especially those who either don't go to church or no longer go to church, that pastors and churches really only ever talk about money.

I have seen the appeals on Christian TV or on Christian YouTube, and I use the word "Christian" very loosely when I say "Christian TV" or "Christian YouTube." I've seen the appeals there, and there are ways in which ministries and ministers talk about money and the issue of tithing that make it sound like a plea for help, as if God were poor and the ministry was dying.

With that in mind, I want to say three things as we get into this teaching today, thinking about some of the principles having to do with money and tithing. First, God is not poor. God does not need my money. The Bible tells us that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. That means that the earth and everything in it belongs to God; it is God's possession. It also says that God owns the cattle on...

A thousand hills. In fact, the actual wording where we read those words that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills is spectacular. God says this in Psalm 50, verse 9: "I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all its fullness."

The psalmist there makes it very clear, or God is speaking through the psalmist. God is not poor; He does not need my money. This is very clear, and we need to get that out of the way right at the front end. Whenever a pastor who is a biblically consistent pastor—hopefully that's what we're doing here at Cross Connection Church—is just going through the Scriptures and letting the Scriptures speak, that's our goal.

When a biblically focused, sound teaching pastor is teaching about money, it needs to be stated that God is not poor; He doesn't need my money. That's the first thing. The second thing is that the Bible speaks a lot about money, wealth, and possessions. It talks about the issue of tithing, as we're going to see today, far more than we actually do here at Cross Connection Church.

The Bible speaks about these things not because God is so focused on or absorbed with money and wealth and possessions, but because God knows that I can be absorbed with money, wealth, and possessions. My focus can shift to those things. Money, wealth, and possessions can quickly become the master and mastering passion of our lives. This is a real danger. Jesus even spoke to this in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 6, He said in verse 21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

We will come back to that idea from the Sermon on the Mount later on, but it is an important thing to remember. In fact, because the Bible has so much to say on the subject of money, wealth, possessions, and giving, I will say that it is important that we learn this very key truth as the children of God, as the followers of God.

Point number one: As a child of God, my Father has a say in how I see my money and how I prioritize my spending. That is a very important thing.

For us to understand that God has a say in how I see my money and how I prioritize my spending, last week we saw that being a child of God means that I'm no longer the master and the Lord of what I do to my body or what I put into my body. This week, we are going to see that God, as my Father, has something to say about what I do with my wealth. This is a difficult topic for many people in America in 2022, but it is true. If you are a child of God, if you are a follower of God, you've been adopted into His family. This means that God is your Father, and He has something to say about what you do with your body, what you put into your body, and what you do with your money.

I think this is not only true, but I want to suggest to you that it is also good for you. It will go well with you if you recognize that God has something to say about your money and you begin to walk in step with Him regarding these things. Look at what we read in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. The great wise King Solomon wrote, "Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase."

In verse 10, it continues, "So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine." It is not only true that God has things to say about how we use our wealth and how we use our money, but it is also true that if you follow His prescription, if you will, if you follow His way on these matters, it will go well with you. Things will work out better if you follow God's way than if you follow the way of the United States of America in 2021.

Honor the Lord with your possessions, with the first fruits of all of your increase, and it will go well with you. Your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

I mentioned that there are three things I needed to point out before we jump into this. The third thing is that we don't talk about these topics—money, wealth, tithing, and giving—here at Cross Connection Church all the time. It's not something we bring up constantly. However, when we do talk about money, if what we say challenges you or perhaps grates at you, you should consider doing one of two things, or maybe both. First, you should ask if God is trying to teach you something on the subject. Maybe if it bothers you when a pastor who really does...

Hold to sound doctrine and teach faithfully the Bible. When they bring up what the Bible has to say about money, wealth, finances, and giving, if that grates at you or gets under your skin, then you really should ask the question, "God, are you trying to speak to me about this? Is there something you want to teach me on this subject?" That's the first thing you should consider.

If this bothers you when the pastor brings it up, come and talk with me or come and talk with Pastor Mark, our executive pastor, about your thoughts on this subject. I'd love to talk with you about this. If you have some things you want to go deeper on, you can send a text message to our question and answer text line, or you can send an email here to the church. You can also come down here on a Sunday morning and meet with one of the pastors. Talk with us, and we'd love to discuss these things with you.

I am going to say this, and I'm not saying it to upset or bother you. In my experience, those who get really upset when biblically faithful pastors take the Scriptures and speak about what the Scriptures say about money, possessions, and wealth are generally the ones to whom God is wanting to speak about their relationship to their money, wealth, and possessions.

Now, with that all kind of out of the way as a preface to what we're going to look at, we read just a moment ago in Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 22. There, Moses says, "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year." This isn't the first time that we've seen this word "tithe" used in our study of Deuteronomy. In fact, just a few weeks ago, when we were in chapter 12, we read these words in Deuteronomy chapter 12, verse 5: "But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses out of all of your tribes to put His name for a dwelling place, and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes,"—there's that word—"the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks."

So, what exactly is the tithe? What does it mean when we read those words about the tithe in the book of Deuteronomy, specifically in chapter 12 and chapter 14, verse 22? Well, simply put, the word "tithe" means a tenth part, or ten percent. In the book of Leviticus, we read there...

About the tithe, in Leviticus chapter 27, verse 30, we see this: "And all the tithe of the land, all the tenth part of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, all the tithe of the land is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord."

What this means is that whatever I bring in year by year, I must understand the context of the children of Israel thousands of years ago. When they came into the Promised Land, they were an agrarian society, a society of farmers and herdsmen. Their livelihood depended on producing the food they ate from their vineyards, groves, and fields. All of that supported the people and their herds as well.

When we read about the tithe of the land, the trees, the fields, and the flock, we are talking about a tenth part of everything they brought in annually. Year by year, as it relates to the increase of their goods, ten percent of that belonged to the Lord. It was dedicated to Him or consecrated to Him. When we read in Leviticus 27:30 that the tithe is holy to the Lord, that word "holy" means dedicated or consecrated. It does not belong to me. That ten percent of whatever comes in annually to me from the increase of my goods is not mine.

At that point, one might say, "Wait a minute, I worked for it; it is my money." Yes, that is the way we often look at things. We think, "I worked hard for this. I went to school to get this education, or I went to trade school to learn how to weld, or whatever it may be, and I worked really hard for this money, so it's my money."

However, hold up for just a moment. Not so fast. Look at what we read previously in Deuteronomy chapter 8. Reading from verse 11, we find: "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today."

Verse 17 continues, "And then you say in your heart, because you have forgotten the Lord your God, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'" But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth. That is a powerful statement. Beware that you don't forget the Lord.

In your forgetfulness, you may say, "It is me, by my might, by my hand, by my power that I have done this. I have made myself wealthy. It's my work, it's my job, it's my education, it's my abilities and talents. It's all me, me, me, mine." However, all of your wealth is not solely yours. What we read in the Bible is that it is God who has actually given you the ability, the talent, and the power. All of those things—God has given you those things to earn wealth.

Now, listen. I won't hold it against you if you find yourself wrestling with the concepts and truths that we find in Deuteronomy. These are challenging principles to learn and to apply in our lives, to put them into practice. But they are important principles to learn.

Here is a tough principle to wrap our minds around: as a member of God's family, I should recognize that the tithe is not my money but His. The ten percent—ten percent of everything that I bring in annually, or both my wife and I—ten percent of the increase of our goods every single year is not mine. If I am a child of God, as a member of God's family, I should recognize that that ten percent, that tenth part, is not mine but God's.

Solomon, the great wise king of Israel, says, "Honor the Lord with your first fruits of all of your increase." The very first ten percent is the Lord's. Moses commanded, "You shall truly tithe all the increase year by year." It's interesting that it says "truly tithe," and what that emphasizes is the word "tithe." If you look at this in the original language, in Hebrew, the word for tithe is duplicated; it appears twice. So it is saying, "You shall truly tithe all the increase year by year," because the tithe is holy to the Lord; it belongs to Him.

So, what is the tithe? The tithe is a tenth part of all of the increase that I bring in annually. That belongs to the Lord; it is not mine. But why should I tithe? I know what it is, but why should I give that over to the Lord? Isn't this just an old covenant thing for Israel? I'm a Christian; I'm a new covenant believer. I'm in Christ; I am not under the Levitical system. I'm not under the Torah, under the law.

Well, the tithe certainly is or was a part of the old covenant. We read about it in Exodus, we read about it in Leviticus, and we read about it in Numbers and Deuteronomy.

That's all Torah; that's the old covenant. However, it is really important to recognize and understand that the tithe preceded the law. It began all the way back in the Book of Genesis. In Genesis chapter 14, Abraham, the father of the Jewish people and the father of all who believe, spent time with a mysterious character called Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the king of Salem, and we are told in Genesis 14 that he was the priest of the Most High God.

In Genesis chapter 14, Abraham has communion with him; he has fellowship with him. Melchizedek comes out, brings bread and wine, and sits down to have a meal with Abraham. As Abraham is with Melchizedek, Melchizedek blesses Abraham. It is always the greater who blesses the lesser, shall we say. Melchizedek is this great individual, very mysterious, and there are a lot of different disagreements among Christians about who Melchizedek really was. I have my opinions, but I'm not going to go into that today; this isn't a study on Melchizedek.

Melchizedek blesses Abraham in Genesis chapter 14, and then we read in Genesis chapter 14, verse 20, that Abraham gave to Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, a tithe, a tenth part of all. So, although the tithe is emphasized in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy in the Torah, in the old covenant, the tithe also preceded the law. Not only that, the tithe carries over into the new covenant, into the New Testament.

In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus taught that we should maintain the tithe when he said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, anise, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

What does this mean? Well, the scribes and the Pharisees in Jesus's day were the most religious individuals in all of Israel, and they made a huge show of their religious righteousness. They went to crazy extremes around their practices.

Religious adherence to practices like the tithe can sometimes reach minute and even absurd levels. It was almost as if people were tithing on their spices, giving nine for themselves and one for God. Jesus chastises them for their hypocrisy because, while they maintained these ritualistic practices, they were lacking in more significant issues in their lives, such as mercy, justice, and faithfulness.

Jesus tells them that they should not neglect the weightier matters of the law, which include being just, righteous, merciful, and faithful to others. He acknowledges that they should keep these important values, but he also emphasizes the importance of tithing. Jesus commends the practice of tithing, indicating that it should continue. We see this reinforced in other places in the New Testament, including the teachings of the apostles.

A powerful statement from Jesus is found in Acts 20:35, where the Apostle Paul says, "I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

So, what is the tithe? It is the first tenth of all my increase, all my earnings. Why should I tithe? The Scriptures teach, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, that the first tenth of all my increase does not belong to me; it belongs to the Lord. As a blessed child of God, I ought to give the first fruits of all my labor back to the Lord.

Has God blessed you? He has certainly blessed me. He has saved me, forgiven me, redeemed me, and adopted me into His family. He provides for me and protects me. He has given me the ability and capacity to earn wealth, as we see in Deuteronomy 8. Therefore, because of all this, I ought to give the first fruits of all my labor back to the Lord. I say "back to the Lord" because it all belongs to Him. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

The first fruits belong to the Lord; it is not my money. Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 22, "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. You shall eat before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always."

Notice that Moses commands that you shall eat before the Lord in the place where He chooses. As he talks about the tithe that we are going to be giving, this tenth part to the Lord, he emphasizes that you shall eat before the Lord in the place where He chooses. What is going on here? In this passage, we see that when the children of Israel bring the tithe to the Lord, there is some sort of feast happening.

We will see in a few weeks, when we get to Deuteronomy chapter 16, that the children of Israel observed annual feasts together as a nation before the Lord every single year. There were seven feasts of the Lord that occurred at three different times of the year. We do not have the same feasts today in the church within the body of Christ, but the feasts of the children of Israel were all centered around the harvest times in Israel.

Israel was an agrarian society, so at these feasts, the people would bring the tithe to the Lord—a tenth part of all that they brought in from their flocks and herds, from their vineyards, from their fields, and from their groves. All the produce they brought in at harvest times was celebrated during the spring feasts, the early summer feasts, and the fall feasts. They would bring a harvest to the Lord as a tithe.

What we see here is that this tithe of Israel was connected to a joyful time of celebration. The tithe should not be a downer; it should be something that you look forward to. It should not be something that you despise or do begrudgingly. The tithe is a joyful response of worship when the harvest comes in.

Now, I'm not a farmer, and it's likely that you're probably not a farmer either. Maybe you are, but you probably don't get your livelihood by taking care of herds and flocks or managing fields and vineyards. It's probably not your job.

When your harvest comes in and my harvest comes in, I get paid a couple of times a month—once in the middle of the month and again at the end. I get paid twice a month; maybe you get the same thing, or perhaps you get paid every single week. Whatever it is, when I get paid, it's like bringing in a harvest. The first fruits of my harvest, the first ten percent, the tithe, is given back to the Lord as a worshipful, joyful response for the harvest that has come in. I have the ability to earn wages, and you have the ability to earn an income because God has given you that ability. I get to keep ninety percent of it, but I give ten percent back to the Lord as a joyful response of worship for all that has come in. It is the moment that you give back thanks to God for all that He has blessed you with.

When you come to give to God, it should be a joyful celebration. Let me tell you, there is nothing like seeing this take place in other parts of the world. I have had the privilege of traveling to Mozambique twice to do ministry with a ministry that we've been connected to here for a very long time called Cross Connection Outreach. While I was in Mozambique, both times, we went to church services out in the middle of the bush. We would drive for hours on bumpy roads, standing in the back of a truck, and then we would attend the church service.

At each one of these church services, which would last for two and a half to three hours, they made our church services here, which are about seventy-five minutes long, look like child's play. They would gather together, exuberantly sing, worship, and dance. Then, they would bring in the offering. Bringing in the offering in a bush church in Mozambique is one of the most beautiful and amazing things to see because it is a celebration filled with excitement. People would come up to the front and lay their offerings on the table, the altar, bringing their gifts to the Lord and to the church. Oftentimes, it was not just money; some money would be brought up, but it was also live chickens and produce that they had harvested from their fields. It was a beautiful thing, and there was great joy involved in it—the kind of joy that we read about.

Here in Deuteronomy chapter 14 is the kind of joy that God wants us to have when we give our offering and our tithe to the Lord. It is a joyful expression of worship to God for all that He has given to us. We give a tenth part to Him.

The Apostle Paul, when he is teaching on this very same principle in the New Testament, is writing to the Christians in the city of Corinth about receiving an offering and a tithe. He writes this in Second Corinthians chapter nine: "Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. So the person who gives sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. So let each one give as he proposes in his heart to do so, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Now, that word "cheerful" in Second Corinthians is a beautiful word in the original language. Written in Hebrew, it is the Greek word "hilaras," and it is connected to our English word "hilarious." What Paul is saying there is that you ought not give to the Lord begrudgingly or out of necessity. You should not feel pressured or forced to give. If you're going to give, give cheerfully; give with a hilarious heart.

In this, all to say this: when we gather together to worship and praise the Lord, part of our worship ought to be a joyful offering to God, giving back to God a portion of what He has given to us. To me, my Father desires that my gift would be a joyful offering.

Listen, if you're a lady, if your husband came home from work tomorrow and he walked through the door, and let's just say that it was your anniversary, and he handed you flowers and a gift with no joyful emotion—just a deadpan look on his face—and he said, "I'm giving you this because I'm obligated to do so, because you're my wife and it is our anniversary," would you want that gift? I am certain you would not. You would not want that gift, and our Father in Heaven desires that we give with joy.

Our gift to God should be a joyful offering. Moses says, "You shall eat before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, and you shall tithe your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the firstborn of your herds and your flocks." This practice is intended so that we may learn to fear the Lord our God always.

Bringing our offering to the Lord, the tenth part of all our increase, helps us develop a proper reverence for God. How we use our wealth, our money, and our income reveals our priorities and values. When we first begin to walk with the Lord, it is highly likely that our values and priorities are disordered and misplaced; they are out of whack. Therefore, I need to reorder and replace my values and priorities. Doing this involves having a proper understanding or perspective of wealth and money, recognizing that it belongs to the Lord. He has given me the ability and the power to earn these things.

Now, we have talked about what the tithe is and why we tithe. Let me finish today with how we can practically apply this in our lives. How do we engage in this practice called tithing? In Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 24 through 28, Moses provides the details for how Israel would bring in the tithe and celebrate the offerings as they presented them to the Lord during the times of the feasts. He outlines the times, amounts, and all the details for how it would work.

It is important to note that the tithe was not just ten percent. There are three different tithes mentioned in the Scriptures, particularly in the Old Testament, which total more than ten percent. Moses gives Israel the instructions on how they ought to bring the tithe to the Lord in this passage.

However, we do not live in that agrarian society under the Levitical law; we live in a different time and place under the new covenant, not the old covenant. The concept of the tithe is not limited to the law; it preceded the law in Genesis and extends beyond the law in the new covenant.

How do we, New Testament Christians, apply the principle of the tithe? To answer that, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the New Testament book of First Corinthians, specifically to the very last chapter. In First Corinthians chapter 16, we find the perfect details regarding this topic.

In First Corinthians chapter 16, verse 1, we read these words from the Apostle Paul: "Now concerning the collections for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also." He continues, "On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay up something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come."

This passage in First Corinthians chapter 16, verses 1 and 2, provides us with clear details about how the collection for the saints, or the offering, was to be brought in. All of the pertinent details regarding the what, where, when, who, how, and why of the tithe are present here.

So, what is Paul talking about? He refers to the collection for the saints, which is the offering or the tithe. He answers the question of where it is practiced by mentioning the churches of Galatia, indicating that this is something all churches must do. The church that Paul was writing to in Corinth was located in the city of Corinth, in the region of Greece. Paul was likely in the region of Galatia, which is across the Aegean Sea, in what we know today as Turkey.

Paul, being in western Turkey, writes to the Christians in Greece, saying, "Listen, I've told them to do this in Galatia, and I'm telling you to do this in Greece." This instruction is for all of the churches.

What is he talking about? It is the collection for the saints, the tithe, and it is to be practiced in all of the churches. When is it to be received? Paul states that it should be received on the first day of the week. This means every time the church gathers, which in the New Testament was on the first day of the week, just as we do here at Cross Connection Church on Sunday.

So, he instructs that on the first day of the week, at all of the churches, you are to receive the collection for the saints, the offering. He answers the question of who is to give by stating, "Let each one of you." This is for all of us; this isn't just for a select few.

For some special select group of people in the family of God, it's for all people that bring in any fruit of their increase. Each one of you is involved; it's not just for a small group. He answers the question: What are we to do with this whole thing? Well, each of us, he says, should lay something aside, storing up. What that means is that all of us should plan an amount to lay aside, to consecrate, dedicate, and give to the Lord.

Then he answers the question: How are we to give? Notice what he says: Let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper. However God has prospered you, you ought to give from your abundance. This brings up a question. I've had conversations with people before where they say, "I don't have any money; I can't give." Well, if you don't have anything, you can't give. But if you have an abundance, meaning you have brought in anything, the first tenth of it from your abundance, in proportion to what you have, you should store it up to give as he may prosper.

Why should we give? Notice what Paul says in this passage: that there be no collections when I come, so that there is no lack and everything is provided for. It is all right there. Everything that I need to know about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of giving, of giving the tithe, is all right there in this passage.

Now, I've covered a lot today. There are many different things that I've gone over in this passage from Deuteronomy chapter 14. But before we close, I think it is really important to see how Paul closes this passage. Moses closes his teaching on tithing by saying in this passage, as we saw at the opening verse in verse 22, "You shall truly tithe all your increase of your grain year by year." He ends this in verse 29 by saying these words: "You shall surely tithe all the increase of your grain year by year."

That the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand, which you do. Notice this point; this is critically important. Our Father blesses those who truly honor Him with their increase and their abundance. God will bless you as you truly tithe, as you truly honor the Lord with the increase of your abundance. Now, this is a really difficult point, and I say that this is a really difficult point.

Not because this is challenging to me, but because while I believe that this is absolutely biblically and theologically true, this truth has been used in an incorrect way to take advantage of God's people in the name of God. There have been some ministries and some Christian TV personalities who I think have used this truth. This is absolutely true: God blesses those who truly honor Him with the increase of their abundance. That is true; that's what the Bible teaches. However, there have been some people who have used this in an incorrect manner to take advantage of God's people. Those who use these truths to take advantage of the people of God are robbing God, and they will answer to God for their exploitation. I believe that wholeheartedly.

Though there are people who use this truth in an unrighteous manner, it does not lessen the truth of this truth. The veracity of this truth is that God blesses those who truly honor Him with their increase in their abundance. Jesus taught this in Luke's Gospel. We read in Luke chapter 6, verse 38: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom; for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

This is not just the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, but also the words of the prophet Malachi. In Malachi chapter 3, verse 10, this is powerful. Malachi says to the people of God, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house," says the Lord. "And try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."

Hear me on this: I am not saying this so that you will have your arm twisted to give more, but I do think that you should give more if you're a Christian, if you're a child of God. You should give more because, at the very least, the tithe is the Lord's; it does not belong to you. You should give more because God has commanded it. You should give more because it is more blessed to give than to receive. You should give more because it will shift your values and your priorities such that they will be properly aligned with God's priorities and values.

Give more because God loves a cheerful giver, and He will bless you as you give to His kingdom. I have learned this truth experientially throughout my adult life. I have always given at least the tithe to the Lord, and my wife and I have given above and beyond the tithe. We have always committed ourselves to giving the tithe of our first fruits, the first fruits of all of our increase to the Lord. The first 10% of every check that comes in goes to the Lord.

I have witnessed firsthand the way in which the Lord has blessed my family and me. My wife and I have an amazingly blessed life, far more than I could ever have imagined. I am a hundred percent convinced that it is because we have our values and our priorities rightly aligned. They are values and priorities that honor God with our first fruits. Remember what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3: "Honor the Lord with your possessions, with the first fruits of your increase, so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine."

God has blessed my wife and me in ways that still blow my mind. I have more abundance and wealth now than I ever could have imagined when I was a kid or even in my early adult life. This is not because I am paid some huge salary, though I am blessed by what I am paid. I believe that this has everything to do with the fact that Andrea and I have handled our finances in a way that honors the Lord.

Next week, we will talk about how we handle our finances—not just the tithe, but our wealth. How do we manage that? My wife and I have handled our finances in a way that honors God. We have worked hard and given generously. The Lord said, "Test me in this and see if I will not pour out on you such a blessing that there will not be enough room for you to receive it." As far as I have been able to tell, that is the only time in the Scriptures where God explicitly says, "Test me and see."

You might want to take Him up on that offer because the tithe is the Lord's. It comes down to you and me: how are we using that ten percent, that first ten percent that belongs to the Lord? If you're not contributing to Him and His kingdom, and if you're a part of Cross Connection Church, part of that...

The whole of it for me goes to the church that I am a part of, the local church. I would encourage you to do that. As you honor God in this and reorder your values and your priorities, you will see— I am convinced of it—your life change for the better as it relates to these things.

We have to be very careful as it relates to money. The Scriptures say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and those who have committed themselves to seeking after that often find themselves pierced through with all kinds of sorrows. The Scriptures make it very clear in First Timothy chapter six. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that you cannot serve two masters; you will either serve God or you will serve money (mammon). You cannot serve both of those things. Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

It is very important that we get the values and priorities correct as it relates to these things because it will change the way you live as a Christian, as a child of God in this world. This is a very important truth.

Father God, I pray that you would speak to us through your Word regarding these issues and that you would use your Word to transform us in a way that brings you praise, honor, and glory. Our lives, our bodies, our money—it's not ours; it's yours. Help us to glorify you with all of these things. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise you! We praise you! This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise you! We praise you! This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise you! We praise you! This is what living looks like. This is what freedom feels like. This is what heaven sounds like. We praise you! We pray we will see you break down every wall; we will watch the giants fall. You cannot survive when we praise.

Oh, we praise You! Thanks for joining us for our broadcast today. As we close, we would love to invite you to our services at Cross Connection Church campus at 8:30 and 10:30 every Sunday. If you'd like more information about Cross Connection Church, go online at lifeinconnection.com.

Hey, Cross Connection! It's Pastor Garrett here. I'm so glad that you could join us for service this morning. Here at Cross Connection Church, we are all about living life in connection with God, one another, and the world through Jesus Christ. Part of the way that we encourage you to do that is through connection with the world, going out and sharing your faith. Recently, Pastor Anthony had a group that he trained and did some evangelism with. They went down to Kick Carson Park and handed out about a thousand tracts, and they even saw one person accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior. So, be praying for them! If you are interested in doing some evangelism with Cross Connection Church, our next evangelism day will be on April 2nd. You can find out more information at events.lifeinconnection.com. Go to our website and sign up there. We would love to have you help us share our faith with our community here in Escondido.

I have two quick youth ministry announcements for you. First, summer camp is right around the corner, coming up June 22nd through the 25th. We are going to be doing another camp fundraiser next Sunday after the second service, so come prepared if you'd like to make some donations to help support kids getting to camp or even sponsor a kid this year. We would love that! Seriously, summer camp is such an amazing opportunity for these kids. Parents, if you haven't signed up your kids already, please do so at events.lifeinconnection.com for summer camp. We're going to Catalina Island, and it's going to be a fantastic time. I know that they will be experiencing the Lord on a whole other level out there, so sign them up for that.

The second announcement is that we have our Spring Olympic Games for our junior high and high school students coming up on April 30th, so that's right around the corner too. Sign up again at events.lifeinconnection.com.

It was just a really fun day of games and competition, with some exciting prizes at the end. So, sign up for that! I would love to see you all there.