Sermon Series: ABC s of Financial Freedom Sermon 3 of 4 Sermon: Choice The Crossing Clayton Hentzel 1/26/2014

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1 Sermon Series: ABC s of Financial Freedom Sermon 3 of 4 Sermon: Choice The Crossing Clayton Hentzel 1/26/2014 Introduction: Welcome Campuses and Online First Time Guests - Brief Intro/Jerry Harris Gone As a church we are discovering God s plan for our Finances. We have discussed how to have the Right Attitude about our Money We realized last week that Debt can keep us in Bondage This week we are going to examine the Choice that each of us will make. We can choose to obey God or disobey God Each choice has consequences. We can choose to believe God or choose not to trust him. Point One: I believe that God s way is the best way and I know that I am not the only one who believes this. I believe that God s way is the best way in every area of my life. Work Marriage Parenting Friendships Leadership In fact, what area of your life do you think you have a better plan? What are your qualifications he created everything you know Track Record Check Person you dated bad idea regret Car you bought bad idea regret Parachute pants bad idea regret Girls Crimping Side Pony Tails shoulder pads regret Guys Stereo Skinny Jeans (one day) Proverbs 3: My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

2 God s way has so many benefits Prolong your life Bring Prosperity Win Favor and Good Name in sight of God Win Favor and Good Name in sight of Man He will make your paths straight Bring Health to your body Nourishment to your bones Barns Overflowing Vats brim over with new wine Not about the Specifics on this list God is trying to convey to us his children, whom he loves that we will not regret choosing his way. Point Two: Tithing is God s Best Plan for your Finances or Tithing is part of God s Best Plan for You Tithing is 10% if you are looking at your check it is moving the decimal point 1 place to the left $200/20 $1500/150 Illustration: 10 Dollars with person in the crowd Whose money is this? After giving away the money whose money is this? Teach Tithing Tithing is not giving money to God it is returning money to God because it is all His God is gracious and lets us keep 90% For a Christian My life is not mine it belongs to the LORD I am a steward My family is not mine it belongs to the LORD I am a steward My money is not mine it belongs to the LORD I am a steward VIDEO: Lois McMahan Point Three: Tithing is for Everyone Mark 12: Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on. Jesus is watching people give do you think he still does? Do you think what you give escapes his notice? Rich People Your not rich or are you? The Bible is not written for Americans it was written for the whole world Top 10% of income earners in the world in 2013 made $25,000 Top 1 % of income earners in the world in 2013 made $47,500 Say it with me now I am RICH

3 What are the Rich doing they are putting in large sums of money Widow shows up and puts in two copper coins She gives almost nothing and everything at the same time She does not tithe if she just gave one coin she would be giving 50% but she gives 100% and she is poor Jesus stops and goes LOOK Jesus doesn t say Keep it Don t worry about it you need it more than we do Jesus receives it because he doesn t want her to miss out on the Blessing Acts 20:35 - the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Then the story just ends we could speculate all day about why and what happens next I think there is a reason for this God deserves our obedience God loves cheerful givers God is pleased by our faith Now you finish the story take what you know about Jesus and what do you see him doing? Do you think it would be in the character of God to take care of her needs YOU BET Point Four: Failing to Tithe is Dangerous and is more scary than Tithing itself Malachi 3: I the LORD do not change, So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Failing to Tithe is the same as Robbing GOD WOW This results in us being under a Curse God does not Bless Disobedience What kind of relationship would you have with a person who repeatedly robbed you? And then had the nerve to call you up and ask you for something? If you don t trust God with your finances why are trying to ask for his help in other areas you obviously don t believe in his ability to take care of you in the first place Point Five: We Can Reverse the Curse Make the Choice to Tithe Bring it into the Storehouse The Store house is the Old Testament picture of the New Testament Church

4 If The Crossing is where you come for worship, where you serve, where your kids are invested in, where you are pushed, encouraged and prayed for then this is your storehouse. In fact The Crossing has made this so easy for you many of our staff do automatic giving. Now through our website you can give online. You can give once or simply set up a reoccurring giving schedule. This is awesome. You no longer have to remember your checkbook. If you are giving cash going to online giving will give you a record for your taxes You don t have to make up when you miss Tithing is not based on Attendance It is based on obedience No other area in your life can you guarantee obedience. I can t automate humility, I can't automate purity but I can automate financial obedience to God Go to our website and give this a try Young people I want us to lead the way I would love for us to be the ones who spear head this opportunity. If you are already using online bill pay this will be a cake walk for you God is in control of the Tithe but you get to be in control of the Offering. I believe that you and God with 90% is a better financial position than you on your own with 100% VIDEO: Traviola A Blessed 90% is better than a Cursed 100% God invites you to test Him Only Place it is like God is pleading with you without overriding your will Point Six: Tithing is not rooted in Blessing but in Lordship Some will think that Tithing tuns Jesus into a guarantee on the slot machine. If I do this I better GET We do not tithe because we expect blessing we tithe because when we were baptized we made Jesus our LORD and Savior. Savior mean he rescues us and saves us. LORD means he is now in charge. I ll be honest If Jesus didn t do another thing for you he has already done enough He paid the debt we couldn t pay, he rescued us from the dominion of darkness, he loved us when we were unlovely. I don t give because of what he is going to do, I give because of what he has already DONE

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