The Power of an Offering | Test Drive the Promises Series | Pastor Dwain Wolfe

Father, we thank you that you're here right now, and

that you've drawn us to yourself. And it's for freedom

that you've set us free. It's for freedom that you've

set us free. We thank you that you are present

in our midst with the testimony of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Ignite our hearts this morning with partnerships with you like

we've never tasted of. We thank you for it in

Jesus' name. And everybody said, amen, I want to start

out of one of our favorites. If you're a preacher,

any preachers in the building, I want to start with

one of our favorites. Malachi chapter three seven through twelve.

This is where we wax eloquent and mutual, older pieces

with scriptures on tithes and offerings. Everybody, everybody's still happy.

Turn to me and I will return to you, says

the Lord of Hosts. But you say, how shall we return?

And he says, in tithes and offerings. Everybody say, tithes

and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you

are robbing me, and theoy say, robbing the whole nation

of you. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. I

like that I don't know why he said that, but

that's good. Bring the whole tithe, not the partial tithe.

I mean the tithe means ten percent, right, don't bring

nine percent of the ten. Please please have alread eight

percent of the ten. Let's go ahead and bring the

whole tithe in, right. I like that. That's just good.

He's just he's so good. Bring the whole tithe into

the storehouse so that there may be food in my house.

And test me, everybody, say, test me, test me in this.

Put me to the test. He's saying, put me to

the test. If I will not open for you the

windows of Heaven, let's say, open the windows of Evan

and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. No,

I don't know. This is like the New American. We've

got the NIV up in the Daily Whopper, and the

NIV says, open the windows of even and pour out

for you a blessing until it overflows. Oh you changed it?

Oh okay. So the NIV says, until there's more than

enough something like then then I will rebuke everybody, say

I okay. So then he says he will rebuke the

DeVore for you. And sometimes I think that means he's

also present in your rebuke. If you would like him

to be absent in your rebuke, don't tie it. Then

it's easy solve that. But if you want him present

in your rebuke, go ahead and tie them. It's a

good thing. I can tell you're excited already. Then I

will rebuke the devour for you, so that it will

not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor your vine

in the field cast its grape, says the Lord of Hosts.

All the nations will call you blessed. By the way,

aren't we a new nation? Yes, you're not sure we

are a new nation. Okay, we're a nation. By the way,

we're a nation of nations. All the nations will call

you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says

the Lord of Hosts. Okay, so the biblical tithe, the

biblical tithe is ten percent, right, so ten percent? The

word tithe means ten percent. Yeah, so it means a tenth.

So a biblical tithe is ten percent, and it's ten

percent of your increase. How do you spell encrees? Why

are we need help here? Already? We're just barely starting.

So it's ten percent of your increase. That's a biblical tide. Yeah,

And what's going on here? And I can read you

a little verse previous to we'll just read a little

verse previous. But Malachi is the last prophetic book before

we have a break and then comes Jesus, right, then

comes the New Testament books. So Malachi is the last

of the Old Testament books. He's the last prophetic voice,

and he's coming with a rebuke. And Israel has fallen away.

There's been a falling away, right, the Jewish people have

fallen away, and so he's coming with a rebuke. And

it's really the heart of God saying I also don't

want to I don't want to pour out wrath upon you.

I want you to draw near. So there's actually kind

of a there's covenant lawsuit language in the Book of Malachi,

and it's almost like the preceding or the beginnings of

divorce terminology. So this is what we're hearing a little

bit in Malachi is the proceedings of a divorce. And

fact is in the n I V. Which is more

simple vernacular, it actually says in verse what versus this

verse this is? This is chapter three and verse four

because of it, they get lost, pray for the pastor

it suddenly flipped the chapter three. These are electronic devices.

Bless them, Bless the Lord. Uh the verse three of

chapter three, So I will come and put you on trial.

So I will come and put you on trial. I

will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulters, perjurers, against

those who defraud the labors of their wages, who oppress

the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among

you of justice. This is interesting. So this is some

of the terminology of chapter three. This would actually be

the terminology of Covenant Lawsuit number one. Covenant Lawsuit number

one is the way you're dealing with one another. Covenant

Lawsuit number two in this passage is going to be

this thing about returning to me and returning with tithes

and offerings. Return to me, and I will return to you.

Ever since, he says in the verse proceedings of verse six,

verse seven, ever since the time of your ancestors, you've

turned away from my decrees and up them. Return to me,

and I will return to you, says the Lord. But

you ask how do we return? And he doesn't say

something we would think he might say. He says, return

with your money. He says, we return. You're robbing me,

return with your money? How are we robbing you in

tithes and offerings? So this is interesting. Now. The reason

that he considers this a robbery is because the tithe

belongs to him. Everybody say, the tithe belongs to him. Oh,

I just made you something. I made you say something

you didn't want to say. But isn't that tricky? How

the pastor does this stuff? Levitic is twenty seven point

thirty a tithe of everything from the land, whether grain

or from the soil, or fruit from the trees. It

belongs to the lord. It is the lord. So this

is kind of an interesting thing. He says, return to me,

and he says, you know, don't rob me, and bring it.

And he's naming the tithe and the offering. And we

know that the tithe belongs to him. It doesn't belong

to us. It's not mine. That means I can't determine

where it goes even and it shouldn't render me a

benefit when I give it away, And it isn't something

when I release it. It actually is connected to services

rendered right, Well, I got counseling this week at the church.

I guess you should give a little bit. You know,

it's not for goods and service, it's not. It's actually

what Frank was talking about. It's actually because you're under

recovering and you've been brought into this covering in God.

So therefore you're partnering with him and you recognize that

he's brought you into salvation and all that you have

is because of him, and so you render unto him

this tenth part, which he says is his. That's a tithe.

Right now, some people say, you know, we're not under

the tithe anymore, we're under grace. You know, the tie

that's of the law, that's legalistic, But it started before

four hundred and thirty years before the law was given,

Abraham was tithing. And then before that, we look even

further before that and we see that Cain and Abel

actually their thing was all about a tie. It was

all about a tithe. And then if we look further

into that, I actually think that the tithe started in

the garden because God said, of the tree, this is mine.

Don't eat of this one because this one is mine.

So there's this whole thing always with increase, with produce,

with blessing that when we're gods, we recognize that ten

percent belongs to God. So and then further in scripture,

it's kind of crazy, he says, you know, somewhat to

prove that it's his, he says that if you want

to hang on to it, you owe twenty percent interest

on it. So so actually, I'm going, if we're really

biblically and looking at the Bible, if you hang on

to your tithe for a month because you need it

for a little bit of investment, you can hang on

to one thousand dollars for a month. But just remember

he would like twenty percent interest on what you don't

give him when it first comes in, because he calls

it a first fruit first for me, as you're actually

supposed to give him that ten percent first, not second. Okay,

And we just have to recognize that this is the

key to partnering with God economically, but even more, even

more than partnering with God economically. But this is a

major key. Now he brings up two things, and he

goes on in this covenant lawsuit in chapter three, he

says there's another issue too. He says that your words

are also a problem. And I'm looking at my time

and I'm already out of time. But he says, your

words are a problem as well. He says, oh, by

the way, you've also spoken arrogantly against me. This is

verse thirteen, says the Lord. And you say, what in

the world have we said? And he says this, you

have said that it's feudal to serve God, or it

is in vain that we serve God, or what gain

do we receive by carrying out his requirements. So actually

there's a whole portion of the body of Christ today

kind of this anti prosperity portion who will tell you

that it's improper for you to believe that serving God

will render blessing. But actually Hebrews eleven says that it's

the second key to actually having a right walk with

God is first you believe that he is and then

you believe that He is the rewarder of those who

diligently seek him. So you can serve a God that's

not a rewarder if you'd like to. But actually he

doesn't even want you to serve a God that's not

a rewarder. And if you serve a God that's not

a rewarder. Then you're going to be constantly tempted to

lean into the arm of your flesh, and you're going

to be giving all of your glory to yourself. Hello, somebody,

So this we're having fun. Let's get delivered as we go.

So he says there's two robberies going on. The second

robbery that he talks about is the robbery of the offering.

And we rarely talk about offerings here that we take

them all the time. We're professional offering takers, but we're

terrible offering talkers. And so today I thought it'd be

good to talk about the offering a little bit because

this is the second robbery that he mentions here. But

it's the second thing more important than a robbery is

it's the second key to opening the windows of heaven

over your life. And I think some of us don't

have the windows of heaven over our lives because we

don't understand what an offering is. And one thing we

have to understand an offering is an offering is giving

under God something beyond your tithe So the windows of

heaven are open, and what's poured out through the windows

of heaven is not determined by your tithe, because your

tithe belongs to him. You're just returning what belongs to him.

It's determined by your offering. And so what happens is

many times in America and in Western church, western culture,

most of us barely tithed. Most Christians barely tithed. So

I think the number, don't quote me. Barnic could tell you.

You could look it up on Barna Research Group would

probably tell you that, you know, maybe three or ten

percent of Christians across this nation actually tithed. Now, the

other thing you have to remember is that the tithe

is for the levites, meaning the tithe is meant for

those who care for the house. It isn't meant to

pay for the house. It's meant for those who care

for the house. God has another method to pay for

the house, and it's not through the tithe. If we

paid for the house with the money that's supposed to

go to those who care for the house, then those

who are supposed to care for the house don't. They

can't support their families well enough, and we don't have

enough of them to care for the house well or

to care for the ministry of the house. Because we're

taking what belongs to the Levites or in this case,

the Melkezedic priesthood, which the Melkezdic priesthood is the fulfillment

of what Levite looked like. And so we start with

the Melkesidic priesthood, and Genesis fourteen we move into the

levitical under Aaron, and then we come back into the

Melkezedic priesthood. But there's still sons and daughters of ministry

under the Melkezdic priesthood who serve in the type of

Levite over the house. Are you following me? Oh boy?

This is this too deep? All right? So Genesis fourteen,

we've got Genesis fourteen, we start with the melkes priesthood.

Then we go into the Levitical priesthood, right, and that's

through I don't want to get into that, and it's

way too long. And then and then through Christ, the

Melchzidic priesthood is restored. And I'll just put up here

Hebrews seven. Okay, we'll just leave that there, all right.

So I'm getting way too deep, But so you with

me so far. The reason I say this is because

what happens is we're expecting the windows of heaven to

be opened to our life. And by the way, the

windows of heaven is not the winds of money. It's

the windows of favor, the windows of promise, the windows

of breakthrough, the windows of wisdom, the windows of opportunity.

It's not the windows of money. He's not opening windows

of money and shoving money down on you. He's shoveling

down on you opportunity. Deuteronomy at eighteen. Remember the Lord

your God. He gives you the power to create wealth.

He makes you a creative being and a wealth creator.

But then offerings fit into this as well. And offerings

are important. And it's because the tithe is for the leavite.

So when you tie Angela can eat, Frank can eat,

Dwen can eat, Juel can eat, We can pay our bills.

Did you know that seventy five percent of churches in

America the pastors are by vocational. The churches are bi

vocational because they have to be. The pastors have a calling,

But the people won't tithe. And by the time they

take the money out for the buildings and the heat

build You know, our irrigation bill during the summer is

one thousand dollars a month I'm not teaching or preaching

on this because we're running out of money, by the way,

so I'm just trying to get more blessing to you

and more understanding. And if you don't have understanding and blessing,

then my people perish or they fall short of the

goodness of God because of a lack of knowledge. Wassea

four to six, right. So there's reasons for offerings, and

let's just touch on those a little bit. And there

are different kinds of offerings. One of them is to

build the house. So one of the reasons is to

build the house of God. Exodus chapter twenty five one

through two. Now, what happened coming into Exodus chapter twenty

five one through two. What happened is the children of

Israel are coming out of Egypt, and God says to them,

let's do a Jehovah sneaky thing. Let's plunder all of

the Egyptians. So they go to their neighbors and they

ask for all their gold, silver, bronze, jewelry coins, what

have you, right, And so they plunder them as they

come out, and as they come out, then they're wealthy.

And then God says not to tieth on that. But

God says, I want you to bring an offering out

of that. So this is the first instance of this

kind of an offering, and it's to build the Tabernacle.

And so this becomes a precedent through scripture, is that

God's not going to take money from the Levite or

the leadership or those who care for the flock to

build the building. He's going to ask the people to

give above the tithe and then he's going to promise

them tremendous blessings if they partner with Him to the

degree that they desire to in their own heart. So

then it becomes a free will offering. King James, those

kinds of words. We'll read that Exodus twenty five one

or two. Then the Lord's spoke to Moses saying, tell

the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for me

from every man whose heart moves him, raise my contribution.

This is Exodus twenty five, and this is all to

build the Tabernacle. So God saying, this is great. You've

got all this gold, silver, bronze, copper, precious stones, jewels, jewelry.

I wonder if you could share some with me. Let's

not do it, because you have to let's do it

because you want to. Let's build a tabernacle for my name.

And so this is how the arc of the Covenant

got covered with gold. Is they got the gold from

the enemy, and then they donated the gold of free

will in a free will offering, saying, let's see, God,

you're the one that gave us the wisdom, insight, ability, grace, power,

the Jehoah a sneaky trickery. You gave us everything to

transfer all that wealth from the wicked into the righteous.

Why don't we just bring some of that and build

a house for your name. And so they build the

tabernacle right, and it says they brought it, and they

heaped it up until it was in heaps in such

a way that Moses had to say, quit bringing stuff.

We have enough. The King James reads it this way,

and the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, speak to the

children of Israel, that they bring me an offering of

every man, and they give it willingly. So this is

where free will offering comes from. They give it willingly

with their heart. They bring an offering, so they shall

take my offering. And so this is God working. And

it didn't take away from the Levites. It didn't take

away from any ministry. This is kind of you know,

it's this reoccurring theme Ezra chapter two. They did it again.

So first of all, they build the tabernacle. So and

this is I'm just going to put up here a

number one. It's for the House of God. These are offerings,

and even us as we start building, and it's going

to happen soon, even as us as we start building,

I don't want to take the tide and give tithe

away to the building. I want us to give freely

and to give willingly. And by the way, I think

we're going to build with cash, meaning I don't think

we're gonna need a loan. And by the way, we've

been saving money for a while, and the money we've

been saving has been offerings, not tithing. So but this

is number one. This is number one. It's in a

scripture that we don't take money from those who serve

in the ministry of the House and make them eat

beans and corn or corn meal or rice crispies and

peanut butter or something. But we bless them with a

little beefsteak and let them drive cars that actually work.

This happened again when they were rebuilding. This happened again

when they were rebuilding. Everybody say rebuilding. So it happened

again with Ezra and Nehemiah as they were rebuilding after

they were carted off the Babylon because they were disobedient.

They were carted off the Babylon. They were there seventy

years in captivity. They come back and we read about

this with me and Mayah. We read about it with Ezra.

We read about you know, rububles there. All these guys

are there, and this is what Ezra says, some of

the heads of the Father's household Ezra, chapter two, verse

sixty eight. I think we haven't. When they arrived at

the House of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly,

noticed the same language offered willingly. They didn't. By the way,

nobody's going to twist your arm when we have an

offering here. Now, we're going to build your faith. We're

going to encourage you because seed son, and that's what

an offering is considered biblically. Seed sown will be a

breakthrough of harvest for you. The seed that you sow

will determine what flows through and open heaven over you.

So they offered willingly for the House of God to

restore it on his foundation, according to their ability. They

gave to the treasury of the work of the Lord,

according to their ability. In other words, with an offering,

it's never equal gifts, it's equal sacrifice. God's not looking

for equal gifts. He's not looking at you know, this

person over here and another person, and oh you didn't

give the same amount. It's not equal gifts. It's equal

sacrifice that God takes note of. And so according to

their ability, they gave to the treasury of the Word

sixty one thousand gold and et cetera, et cetera. And

then this happened again. When David was preparing for the

house for Solomon. Everybody say Solomon, so we get the

house for Solomon. And as David's preparing for the house

for Solomon, this happened again. And instead of David saying, Okay,

we're gonna take all the money that's been coming under

the coffers for the Levites and we're gonna build the

House of Solomon with that, no, David says. First Chronicles,

chapter twenty nine one through six, David says about his

son Solomon, He's the one that's chosen. But he says,

with my resources I've provided, So he names all this

stuff that he's provided with his resources, gold, silver, bronze.

But then at the end of it, he says, now,

who else is willing to consecrate themselves for the work

of the Lord? He's asking, is there anybody else who

will concentrate themselves for the work of the Lord. And

then the leaders of families, officers of the tribes, commanders

of thousands and hundreds, officials in charge of the work

gave willingly notice the same language. It says over and

over again every time it comes to building a house,

every time it comes to establishing the physical structure, We're

not going to take from the levites, We're not going

to take from the tithe We're going to take special

contribution offerings. And there's going to be a blessing on that.

There's going to be increase that comes because of that,

and we're going to see God move. So that's number one.

Number one is the building of the house. Now, another

interesting category, and we practice this here all the time,

and I don't know if you've ever asked about it,

but there is auxiliary ministry like prophetic ministry right auxiliary ministry.

And it seems biblically speaking that these auxiliary ministries existed

outside of the priesthood, the vitical or ironic priesthood. These

auxiliary ministries existed, and they exist on the basis of offerings,

not on the basis of tithe. So that's why we

do that here. If we have who's the pastortion passion

translation guy, Brian Simmons, If we have Brian Simmons come,

or Jeremy Nelson come, or you know, we have some

some minister come who is not a part of our

levitical team or our Melkezidic team. And if we have

somebody come like that, then here we are taking an

offering and compelling you to give. Well, why would we

do that, We already tithed. Why don't we just take

some of the tithe? And can't we just pay our

bills out of the tithe that we already received. Well,

it's not the biblical way. The Biblical way is that

we don't take from the laborers of the house to

cover the expenses of other laborers coming in. And God

is more than enough to cause you to abound, So

that grace will be yours as you give to the

need of these who come to encourage the body. And

so there's a biblical precedent for that in First King's

Chapter seventeen with Elijah and the Second King's chapter four

with Eli Shah. So how many do you think that's okay?

Could that be okay? Elijah is sent? Now, it's interesting

that Elijah is sent. Are you okay? Are you sure

all right? I don't want to bore you silly? If

you're yawning, just stretch or something, you know, I won't

be long, you know. And he listens a good old joke,

you know, but I won't say it. I'll avoid it.

The annoying thing of silly was on me in first service,

and we just had so much fun. But First King seventeen,

this is Elijah. It's interesting that God doesn't send one

of the Levites to confront a haven Jezebel, that he

has raised up this one called Elijah, that he sustains

Elijah and the company of prophets, we can assume they

were sustained through offerings. They weren't sustained through the tie

that went to the Levites. And even in this case,

after he comes and makes his proclamation with regard to Jezebel.

Then God says, I've appointed a widow to sustain you.

And this is after the stream drives up and the

raven is no longer bringing him meat, and so God

directs him through a widow, and this widow cares for him,

and there's offerings made. We see the same thing happen

with Elisha in tewod King's chapter eight, and Elisha is

directed to this little lady in shoot them. And so

we're going to jump on from there and we're going

to talk about category number three. Were you okay with that?

By the way, you know what what happened with those

who cared for somebody that wasn't a part of the

vitical priesthood. What happened is they were cared for. Their

meal didn't dry up, their oil didn't dry up. The

care of God over them continued, right. So, and number

three is we care for the poor. Offerings are elicited

and spoken of. You know, this is a very I

thought this is a better marker, but it's kind of

gotten a little bit dry. Can you see it? The poor?

So this is category number three and there's a tremendous

blessing on fact is our major text. The major text

on giving offerings, not giving time. But the major text

on giving offerings in scripture is Tewod Corinthians, chapter eight

and chapter nine. And when Paul is writing about all

that stuff, it's all about the care of the Christians

that are remaining in Jerusalem, because Jerusalem has come under

tremendous trial. So you've got this, this fell it? Right?

Did I forget the U? What pray for me? Prian

for myself? Right? Now? There we go? Is that right? Oh? Good?

Is it better? Jerus? Is that close? Some of you

don't know. You're just as confused as I am. Okay,

So what happens is And I don't think I ever

finished the story of Malchai three did I? How many

of you were listening? Were you paying attention that whole

covenant lawsuit thing? Do you remember? Because God was trying

to get their attention through Malachi, and it says so

that he could restore the people, He was trying to

get their attention through Melicai. He didn't want this divorce

proceeding to continue, and he wanted to gather the people

like a hen gathers her chicks. So when we get

over here this first instance of an offering, First Content,

chapter eight, it's because back in Jurism, those people were

under tremendous persecution. The Christians were, and they were suffering.

And so as Paul was going out, he's sharing with

the believers. Let's take offerings for the Christians back in Jerusalem.

He wasn't collecting their tithe. The tithe was something separate.

That's why in First Corinthians eight and nine he talks

about first they gave themselves to the Lord, and then

they gave to you. So there was still a tithe

coming in to the Apostolic leadership. We understand that, and

we can see that in scripture. But they were also

giving offerings to the poor and the suffering back in Jerusalem,

and it's in that text that he talks about the

power of an offering. Second Corinthians, chapter nine is where

he talks about the power of an offering, and especially

this context of caring for the poor. Some of you know,

God loves it when you care for the poor. Chapter nine,

verse one. Okay, there's no need for me to write

to you about this service to the Lord's people. Now,

why would there be no need Because he's talked to

the Corinthian Church about it time and time again, even

a year ago. They had a big pow wow about it,

and he says, what I want you to give is

what you promised you would give a year ago, but

not under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. For

I know the eagerness, your eagerness to help, and I've

been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that

ever since last year, you in Akaia were ready to give,

and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

So Paul's running around bragging about the Corinthian Church and

bragging about how they made these faith promises to give

these offerings, and he's coming a year later to collect

these offerings that will now benefit those suffering in Jerusalem.

I'm sending my brothers in order that are boasting about

you in this matter will not prove hollow. But since

you will be ready as you said you would be,

For if any Macedonians come with me and find you

unprepared not to say anything about you would be ashamed

of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary

to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and

to finish the arrangements for the generous gift you promised.

Then it will be ready as a generous gift and

not as one grudgingly given. Listen to how much care

he took over this offering. First he talks to him

about a year out. Then he starts preparing them, and

then he's going to send delegates to remind them of

what they promised to give above their tithe to care

for the poor and the suffering in Jerusalem. And then

he's bragging to the Macedonians. But some Macedonians are going

to come with them that are going to receive the offering,

and he doesn't want him to be embarrassed over the

word of his bragging to the Macedonians. So he's like, guys,

so get ready and then remember this. And this is

where he calls an offering seed. Everybody says seed. So

this is what this means. That he's telling you that

your offering will actually move God. It'll move God in

the realm of reciprocity. Anybody got a garden, any farmers

in the room. Your offering is seed. It's it activates

the law of recipe, so that if you sow a little,

you'll reap a little. If you so much, you'll reap much.

You remember, this is all about an offering. You haven't

given an offering if you haven't tithed. If you tithe

and you give more, then that's called an offering. But

if you haven't yet tithed, then whatever you give is

not an offering because you haven't even repaid God what

is his? Yet you have to repay God what is his?

Then whatever you give above that, you're giving it of

what's yours. He leaves you with ninety percent. And that's

why when you give out of that ninety percent that

he leaves you with is called a free will offering

because you don't have to give it. He's not making

you give it. He's asking you to activate your faith

and to give it toward these things that he considers

noble causes that he needs done in the earth, and

he doesn't want to take it away from the Levites

to get it done. So he says, I need it

done so badly. I'm going to promise to activate a

harvest over your life so incredible that if you'll give

some of this seed graciously, then I'll reward you with

a crazy gracious harvest. So then if you sew sparingly,

you'll get a harvest. It'll be a little bit of

a sparing harvest. But I'm still going to pour out

a harvest on you. If you'll sew moderately, you'll still

get a harvest. And I'm going to pour out a

moderate harvest on you. If you'll so extravagantly, then you're

going to get a harvest. And I'm going to pour

out an extravagant harvest on you. And this is the

promise of the offering. Each of you should give what

you decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly, not

under compulsion, And that everyd's not because you have to.

For God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able

to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at

all times, having all that you need, you will abound

in every good work. For it is written, or as

it's written, they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor.

Their righteousness endurers forever. What when you distribute gifts to

the poor, that's not your tithe, that's an offering. It

establishes something about your righteousness that makes you shine. And

you will shine throughout eternity because you cared for the poor. Now,

who supplies seed to the sewer and bread for food

will supply and increase your store of seed and will

enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched

in every way so that you can be generous on

every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in

thanksgiving to God. First closing, let's stand. I think God's

trying to get more blessings into our lives, and we

have to trust him with our money. We have to

trust him fully. We have to trust that he's the

best CFO in the world, chief financial officer. Give you

an example, just a crazy example. Do you think Cornelius's

life was changed? Who's Cornelius? Acts Chapter ten. Cornelius is

the first gentile to receive the gospel, the Gospel of

Isaiah sixty one, the gospel of breakthrough, freedom, deliverance, jubilee.

I mean, I think Cornelius's life was changed. He's the

first gentile to receive the gospel message. Right, Why did

he receive it? Acts Chapter ten says because he remembered

the poor he was offering memorials unto the Lord by

giving to the poor. It says that he was one

who was devout, and he was one who gave alms

to the poor. So God's looking to release something really

crazy in the earth. What is it? It's the Gospel

message And it says that his gifts to the poor,

we're actually sending up a sweet aroma to God. And

so God was attracted to Cornelius like cologne on my wife, irresistible.

All at once, where will I send the gospel? Where

will I release Isaiah sixty one among the gentiles, tractor

being memorial offering Cornelius. Peter's praying, Oh God, I love you.

He's having a great time. All at once, he has

a vision. A sheet is let down before him. In

the vision, he sees all these crazy animals that would

be unclean. He says, oh, man, that's unclean. The Lord says, no,

I'm making it clean. Now rise up and get the

Carnelius's house and invite this gentile to come into the gospel.

What caused What caused that rama and that breakthrough? Somebody

remembering the poor the offerings to the poor caused God

to be drawn to him and a revelation word come

and a breakthrough in his life that him and his family,

his household, his servants all came into the Gospel and

the infilling of the spirit. Do you think that might

be good? What would God do with us? You just

got to know your offerings. Your offerings are crazy powerful.

Your offerings attract the presence of God. Your offerings attract

his attention, and your offerings elicit prophetic words over your

life like nothing else that will bring you the breakthroughs

into stuff that you never even imagined. What happened his bow'side,

schools all across the auditorium, Father, we just agree today

that the fear of lack and shortage, the fear of poverty,

the fear of not getting by, the fear of not

having enough, all those fears, we say, they're put under

our feet today in Yeshibah. They're put under our feet today.

They are conquered, they are overthrown, they are overcome. We're

not listening to them. We are the set apart, we

are the blood bought, we are the redeemed, we are

the heaven partakers. We are the more than enough sons

and daughters of God. And we believe that you not

only grace us and empower us, the partner with you

in the tide, restoring to you, giving back to you

that which belongs to you, because of the way you've

called us and called us out of darkness and brought

us into the light. But we also believe today that

we have a growing abundance. We have a growing abundance,

and that you grace us to give offerings and they

become like seeds before you and memorials that capture your attention,

and those offerings release a harvest over our lives. We

thank you for today. We agree for it today in

Jesus' name. And everybody said, give him a thank offering

this morning, Church, give him a thank offering. He's so

good to us. He's so good to us. He's so

good to us. And this is why you can't outgive God.

This is why you can't outgive God, because He is

the rewarder of those that come to him. Diligently seek him,

serve him, and run after him. God, bless your church.

We love you.